Georgetown Doublespeak

[DFW HOYA]

Sounding the BS alert from this quote from GU Public Relations:

"In keeping with Hoya tradition, Georgetown's eight schools and Master of Business Administration program held individual commencement ceremonies, most of which took place on the university's Main Campus."

Tradition?

What about UNIFIED commencement, a tradition from circa 1795 until Fr. Healy got tired of it by 1987?

explore.georgetown.edu/news/?ID=25064

[strummer8526]

From what I've always heard, Georgetown was a much smaller school, at least through the sixties...maybe longer. So how could a unified commencement work? Finishing four years last week, I've got my share of gripes with Georgetown administration, so this could get on the list. But not if it means standing there waiting for 2,000 people to enter McDonough.

[DFW HOYA]

strummer85 said:

From what I've always heard, Georgetown was a much smaller school, at least through the sixties...maybe longer. So how could a unified commencement work? Finishing four years last week, I've got my share of gripes with Georgetown administration, so this could get on the list. But not if it means standing there waiting for 2,000 people to enter McDonough.

I graduated in 1984 and commencement was held on Healy Lawn for the overall class of 1,500. The graduates sat between the John Carroll statue and Lauinger Library with parents sitting behind the graduates and onto Copley Lawn. The ability to finish up one's four years --together-- under the clock tower was a great moment for us.

Commencement didn't get cut up for size--it was a PR move because some graduates in '81 and '87 were seen in the Post popping champagne corks for the cameras.

[hoyachick]

And in '87, the commencement speaker took a bottle of champagne from one of the graduates and took a swig from it - on stage.

[FormerHoya]

2000 College. Greatest graduation ever. Started pouring, and was cut to 20 minutes tops. This was especially nice because the speaker was terrible.

[kchoya]

Where would one hold a unified ceremony? I was luck enough to have both my College and Law Center ceremonies on Healy Lawn under sunny skies. And both of those ceremonies seemed to take up all of the lawn.

My wife had her college ceremony in McDonough due to rain - not quite the same atmosphere.

Personally, I didn't really feel like I was missing anything by not having SFS or MSB involved. And if it means moving it to the MSF or somewhere in order to fit everyone in one place.

[The Stig]

They hold an all-in-one convocation in McDonough.

[sead43]

thestig said:

They hold an all-in-one convocation in McDonough.

yes, but for new student convocation (all 4 schools in mcdonough) each student generally has only parents and maybe a couple of siblings with them for NSO and it's packed. there's much more guest demand for graduation.

[CTHoya08]

And that's just undergraduates, so four schools, not eight.

[The Stig]

jmassera said:

thestig said:

They hold an all-in-one convocation in McDonough.

yes, but for new student convocation (all 4 schools in mcdonough) each student generally has only parents and maybe a couple of siblings with them for NSO and it's packed. there's much more guest demand for graduation.

Fair enough. More reason to renovate McDonough

[SaxaCD]

strummer85 said:

From what I've always heard, Georgetown was a much smaller school, at least through the sixties...maybe longer. So how could a unified commencement work? Finishing four years last week, I've got my share of gripes with Georgetown administration, so this could get on the list. But not if it means standing there waiting for 2,000 people to enter McDonough.

Schools a whole hell of a lot larger that GU have unified ceremonies. I'm glad I was able to attend one, with Mass preceeding it on Healy Lawn, before the current screwy system.

[Coast2CoastHoya]

I don't really care either way, but it is pretty lame of the university to call something 20 years old a "tradition" when the previous tradition lasted almost 200 years.

[DanMcQ]

dfw said:

strummer85 said:

From what I've always heard, Georgetown was a much smaller school, at least through the sixties...maybe longer. So how could a unified commencement work? Finishing four years last week, I've got my share of gripes with Georgetown administration, so this could get on the list. But not if it means standing there waiting for 2,000 people to enter McDonough.

I graduated in 1984 and commencement was held on Healy Lawn for the overall class of 1,500. The graduates sat between the John Carroll statue and Lauinger Library with parents sitting behind the graduates and onto Copley Lawn. The ability to finish up one's four years --together-- under the clock tower was a great moment for us.

Commencement didn't get cut up for size--it was a PR move because some graduates in '81 and '87 were seen in the Post popping champagne corks for the cameras.

I got my '81 bottle of champagne from the Director of Residence Life and future Associate Dean of Student Affairs just before the ceremony... as did many of my fellow RAs... but I avoided the Post. I share DFW's wish for a unified commencement on Healy Lawn - there is little else like it.