It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I noticed this out on the quad on Monday morning and my spirits immediately lifted. It’s like the first robin of spring.
In no time at all, it looks like this:
Every year, I wait for it to be finished, then have my friend Jim Pomerantz take my picture while I stand at the podium and give a short oration (or sing a chorus of Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina).
Since this is a history blog, here’s some history. Looking at pictures of graduation over the years, it’s apparent that there have been many changes in the arrangement. What really jumps out is how much bigger the platform has become. When I have some time, I’ll see if I can put together some pictures that demonstrate this. (I’m in Chicago for a wedding tomorrow, so I can’t do it right now.) In the last few years we’ve contracted out the assembly of the commencement stands, but back in the day our own guys put them together. Here they are building the platform for the inauguration of George Rupp in 1985:
One more thing: I’m putting out a Code Orange on one of the Italian cypresses!
