Approximately 280 degree candidates are excited and ready to cross the stage in picturesque Commencement Hollow as Wittenberg University conducts its 174th Commencement exercises to celebrate the Class of 2024 on Saturday, May 11.

Prior to Commencement, the Class of 2024 will hold its Baccalaureate service on Friday, May 10, in historic Weaver Chapel. Pre-service music will begin at 4 p.m., with the ceremony starting at 4:15 p.m. 

The Commencement ceremony for the Class of 2024 will begin at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. All guests must be seated by 11 a.m. Access to Commencement Hollow will be restricted until 9:30 a.m. Commencement Hollow will be set up with approximately 3,000 chairs. In addition, visitors are welcome to bring their own chairs or blankets.

The rain location for the ceremony will be inside the Pam Evans Smith Arena, part of the Health, Wellness & Athletics (HWA) Complex. Tickets are required and have already been distributed to the graduates. Others wishing to view the ceremony can watch online at www.wittenberg.edu/live. GradImages, a leader in commencement photography, will handle capturing photos of all degree candidates with their diplomas for purchase.

Addressing the graduates at the ceremony will be Wittenberg President Michael L. Frandsen, keynote speaker Megan Frost, Wittenberg class of 1994 and director of product design for Apple, Inc., and Matt Overturf, class of 2011 and president of the Wittenberg University Alumni Association. Class president Gabby Stern, a nursing major pursuing a minor in psychology and from Hilliard, Ohio, will also share remarks with her classmates.

“This year’s class is one of the closest,” Stern said. “We have grown together and navigated through college, despite being in a global pandemic. We have faced much uncertainty, though we have grown close and have always been there for each other. I believe this class is beyond excited to actually HAVE senior festivities and Commencement. This is something that was taken away from us due to the pandemic, so this graduation is extra special. Getting a graduation following years of hard work was something we didn’t get to experience as high school students.”

Friday’s Baccalaureate service, planned and led by members of the senior class and David P. and Carol Matevia Endowed University Pastor Tracy Paschke-Johannes, is an academic and religious tradition that celebrates the upcoming Commencement festivities. The service, which will last approximately an hour, offers seniors an opportunity to reflect on their time at the University and to look to faith as they begin the next step in their journey.

Members of the Class of 2024 will share the importance of community and trust in times of change, as well as challenge one another to live out their callings beyond Wittenberg. President Frandsen will offer a greeting, and Paschke-Johannes will share a brief message and senior blessing.

Rooted in the historic Lutheran tradition of Wittenberg University, the Baccalaureate service will focus on the passing of light, vocation, and sending students back out into the world to share their light with others. Senior representation from the class of 2024 includes those who participated in chapel activities, Student Senate, and Greek life. 

“Gathering students from a variety of backgrounds and experiences helps us to acknowledge the diverse breadth of gifts brought by the Class of 2024,” Paschke-Johannes said. “We are blessed with students from diverse faith traditions who come together during this time to celebrate and give thanks.”

This service is especially important for the Class of 2024, as most did not have a formal high school graduation because of the COVID pandemic.

“The entire campus is working hard to make this weekend special for our graduates,” she added. “They have persevered and overcome so many challenges. While we can never replace what they’ve lost, it’s important to make this weekend extra special for these students.”

As part of the Commencement exercises, the Myers Hall bell will toll 15 times at 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning and again at 10 a.m. to notify the campus that the ceremony will be held in its intended outdoor location at the scheduled time of 11:30 a.m. If the bell does not ring, that will be a signal that the ceremony will take place inside at the Pam Evans Smith Arena.

Special parking has been arranged for physically disabled guests in the parking areas behind Carnegie and Recitation Halls. The exit to N. Plum Street (the road behind Koch Hall) will be reversed so that vehicles cannot exit onto N. Plum Street from W. Campus Drive, and instead vehicles will be able to enter from N. Plum Street at 8 a.m. to allow easy access to the Recitation Hall and Carnegie Hall parking lots to accommodate parking for physically disabled guests only. To help alleviate traffic congestion, there will be no westbound traffic on W. Ward Street between Woodlawn Avenue and N. Wittenberg Avenue. Vehicular traffic will be redirected down Woodlawn Avenue to W. College Avenue. A shuttle service will be provided prior to and after the ceremony for those with mobility issues.

In order to allow guests to gather safely for the ceremony, Wittenberg will be closing East and West Campus Drives at 8 a.m. on May 11. Officers will be at these locations to assist graduates and their families and friends. Other parking locations include New Residence Hall, Tower Hall, Firestine Hall, Synod Hall, Hollenbeck Hall, the Benham-Pence Student Center, and Krieg Hall. Click here for directions, campus maps, and detailed parking information.

In the event of inclement weather and Commencement needing to be held at the Health, Wellness & Athletics Complex, the University will not regulate traffic on Ward Street. The handicapped parking for an indoor Commencement ceremony is located in the Upper Lot (across from HWA). Guests with disabilities can enter the HWA via the entrance facing Bill Edwards Drive. A shuttle service will be provided prior to and after the ceremony for those with mobility issues even if the event moves indoors.

Restrooms for an outdoor ceremony will be available on Commencement Day at Recitation Hall, Blair Hall, Weaver Chapel, and Ferncliff Hall. ADA-accessible facilities are located in Blair Hall and Weaver Chapel. ADA-accessible restrooms will also be available in the parking lot behind Carnegie Hall.

For those with special needs/requests regarding ceremony logistics, please contact Commencement Committee Chair Brandee Bates Kern at bbates@wittenberg.edu. For additional information, click here.

Immediately following the ceremony, Wittenberg will host a post-ceremony reception in honor of the Class of 2024 along Alumni Way. Light snacks and beverages will be provided, and graduates will be able to retrieve their diplomas at this time. All family members are invited to attend, and faculty and staff will be present. The backup rain site for this event reception will be the 1929 Gymnasium.

For additional Commencement information, visit www.wittenberg.edu/commencement and be sure to follow a favorite Commencement tradition, #StompTheSeal, on social media, as well. Can’t join us in person, watch the ceremony online here.