Commencement

Commencement is when students who have fulfilled their requirements graduate in the spring. Memorial Day 2006 was Oberlin's 173rd commencement.

Walking under Memorial Arch used to be a tradition during commencement, complete with its fair share of controversy. Beginning in 2009, the commencement stage was relocated to its current spot in the northeast quadrant of Tappan Square and the procession rerouted to avoid the arch.

[edit] Opinions

Staying around Oberlin during commencement can be a lot of fun. You can hang out with friends without worrying about classes or finals, and since people are moving out and throwing things away, it's easy to score free alcohol and even things like refrigerators and books.

The Oberlin community does not generally make as big of an affair over commencement as do other colleges/universities. The speeches are solid, and the camaraderie is nice, but graduates come and go quickly. Commencement makes up only a part of Reunion Weekend, so sometimes it feels like less of an event in and of itself.

[edit] History

Fun speakers of the past: Woodrow Wilson (1895), Robert Frost (1937), Adlai Stevenson (1955), Martin Luther King, Jr. (1965), Jesse Jackson (1970), Pete Seeger (1972), George McGovern (1981), Maya Angelou (1983), William Goldman (1985), Desmond Tutu (1987). [1]