Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos will deliver his first Commencement address May 9 at Vanderbilt University’s Alumni Lawn. It’s the highlight of three days of activities honoring graduates and their families including a performance by The Commodores and a speech by musician-activist Bob Geldof.
Zeppos, who was elected chancellor on March 1, will speak during the 9 a.m. ceremony Friday, May 9. Undergraduates will receive their degrees at this event, while graduate and professional students will adjourn for their own 10:30 a.m. degree ceremonies after hearing from the chancellor. The Owen Graduate School of Management ceremony will feature speaker Howard Lutnick, chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, a global financial services provider.
More than 3,000 degrees will be granted by Vanderbilt this year to approximately 1,400 undergraduates and 1,100 graduate students. Not all graduates attend Commencement.
Events begin at 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 7, with The Party, which features entertainment by local group Soul Incision and The Commodores (“Nightshift,” “Brick House”) on the lawn near the university’s Peabody College of education and human development. The Party is open to degree recipients, their families and friends.
Geldof, the lead singer with the rock band Boomtown Rats who raised more than $120 million for famine relief in Africa with the Band Aid, Live Aid and Sport Aid events in the 1980s, will speak at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 8, in Memorial Gym as the central event of Senior Day. (The event was to take place on Alumni Lawn but has moved because of the threat of severe weather.) He will be awarded the Nichols-Chancellor Medal and a cash prize of $100,000. The GlobalVU Luncheon will follow from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Student Rec Center, with food from around the world and live music. A global bazaar will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to sell arts and crafts from local and international artisans.
A series of free educational seminars featuring Vanderbilt faculty will be available from 1:30 to 4 p.m. on Senior Day, including sessions on the upcoming presidential election, public school issues, Parkinson’s disease, AIDS in Africa and the penal system in the United States. For details, go to http://www.vanderbilt.edu/commencement/StudyBreakPoster.pdf.
After graduates receive their degrees on May 9, Chancellor Zeppos will host a Strawberries and Champagne Celebration at Bishop’s Common from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Because of a a threat of severe weather, Thursday’s Senior Class Day events have been moved indoors. Friday’s Commencement events are still scheduled to take place outdoors, but will be moved to Memorial Gymnasium in the case of severe weather. Those unsure where the ceremony will be held may call 615-322-7311 after 6 a.m. the day of the event or visit www.vanderbilt.edu/commencement for confirmation.
The addresses by Geldof and Zeppos will be webcast live and the Commencement ceremony will be archived for later viewing. Links will be posted at www.vanderbilt.edu. The main Commencement ceremony and undergraduate Commencement exercises will be videotaped. For ordering information, go to www.vandygrads.com.
The Nichols-Chancellor’s Medal was created and endowed by Vanderbilt Law School graduate Ed Nichols and his wife, Janice, in honor of Edward Carmack and Lucile Hamby Nichols. It is presented by Vanderbilt each Senior Day.
Further information about Commencement activities is available at www.vanderbilt.edu/commencement.
Media contact: Jim Patterson, (615) 322-NEWS
Jim.patterson@vanderbilt.edu