Cory Booker to help celebrate Cornell's 145th Graduation

student tries on cap
Lindsay France/University Photography
Students prepare for Graduation Weekend by picking up regalia in Teagle Hall May 22.
students try on regalia
Lindsay France/University Photography
Students try on caps and gowns in Teagle Hall May 22.

Cornell’s 145th Graduation Weekend highlights include the Senior Convocation Address by political luminary Cory Booker, mayor of Newark, N.J., Saturday, May 25, at noon, and the Commencement Address from Cornell President David J. Skorton, Sunday, May 26, at 11 a.m. About 6,000 graduates will receive their degrees. Both events will be at Schoellkopf Stadium.

The Senior Convocation ceremony will feature an address by Cornell Senior Class President Anna Fowler. In the event of severe or inclement weather, the event will be moved into Barton Hall, and admission will be by ticket only, which have already been distributed to the students.

Convocation and Commencement will be broadcast live on Ithaca’s Time Warner Cable Channel 16, and the events will be streamed live on the Cornell website. The Commencement ceremony can be heard on WHCU radio (870 AM) starting at 11 a.m. The Commencement procession and ceremony can be viewed afterward on CornellCast.

Graduation Weekend events include:

Cory Booker
Booker

Saturday, May 25:

  • Commissioning ceremonies for the Air Force, Army, Navy/Marine Corps. Reception will be 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Beck Center, Statler Hall; commissioning 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Alice Statler Auditorium, Statler Hall.
  • Samuel C. Johnson Graduate School of Management Executive MBA Recognition Ceremony, 9:30 a.m. at Bailey Hall.
  • Senior Convocation: noon at Schoellkopf Stadium with Booker.
  • Family Gathering and Ice Cream Social: Skorton and the Cornell Board of Trustees will host an ice cream social for students, their families and guests, 2 to 3:30 p.m. on the Arts Quad.
  • DVM Hooding Ceremony: the new doctors of veterinary medicine will take the Veterinarian’s Oath and receive their hoods at a 2 p.m. ceremony in Bailey Hall.
  • Johnson Residential MBA Ceremony: New graduates will be honored at Newman Arena in Bartels Hall, 2:30 to 4 p.m.
  • Cornell University Wind Ensemble Concert: The premiere instrumental student ensemble performs international and American music, as well as Cornell songs, during its Commencement concert on the Arts Quad, 2:45 to 3:45 p.m.
  • Ph.D. Ceremony: For Ph.D. candidates, 5 p.m. in Barton Hall. A reception will follow. Families, friends and faculty members are invited.
  • Senior Week Concert: The Cornell University Glee Club and the Cornell University Chorus will present their annual concert at 8 p.m. in Bailey Hall. Admission $10, with tickets available at http://www.baileytickets.com, or at the door.

For ongoing coverage of Commencement weekend, including information and announcements, follow #Cornell13 on Twitter.

Sunday, May 26:

  • Procession: The academic procession assembles on the Arts Quad at 9:15 a.m. I and then will arrive at Schoellkopf Stadium at 10 a.m.
  • Commencement Ceremony: Skorton will give his seventh Commencement Address. The ceremony is 11 a.m. to noon.
  • College and school ceremonies: These will be held at various locations across campus, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. A listing will be in the Commencement program handed out at the ceremony and also is at http://www.commencement.cornell.edu/May/colrecep.html.

Some parking lots and roads will be closed during the weekend. For detailed driving and parking information, see http://www.commencement.cornell.edu/May/parkseat.html.

Media Contact

John Carberry