Princeton holds Reunions and Commencement activities, May 27-June 1

Thousands of Princeton students, alumni and family members are on campus to take part in the University's traditional Reunions and Commencement celebrations. The activities, which mark the end of the 2003-04 academic year, will run through Tuesday, June 1.

Reunions

More than 18,000 alumni and family members are expected on campus Thursday through Sunday, May 27-30, for Reunions activities. A complete schedule of open Reunions events is available online.

Highlights of the weekend will include: the annual P-rade throughout campus beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday; alumni-faculty forums and department open houses during the day on Friday and Saturday; and performances by groups including Quipfire!, Theatre Intime, the University Orchestra and the Triangle Club, receptions and student/alumni arch sings on Friday and Saturday evenings.

All alumni and University representatives once again will be required to have wristbands to participate in Reunions activities in the major reunion headquarters courtyards (wristbands are not required for attending lectures or watching the P-rade). Faculty and staff who ordered wristbands in advance from the Alumni Council may pick them up from 7 to 11 p.m. each night in the Maclean House parlor (enter through the front door).

Commencement

Commencement activities will kick off with the Baccalaureate service, which is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday in the University Chapel. The speaker will be pre-eminent Civil War scholar James McPherson, the George Henry Davis '86 Professor of American History at Princeton.

The Class Day ceremony for seniors is set for 10:30 a.m. Monday on Cannon Green (Jadwin Gym in case of severe weather). The speaker will be Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."

The Hooding ceremony for advanced degree candidates will begin at 5 p.m. Monday in McCarter Theatre.

The University's 257th Commencement ceremony is slated for 11 a.m. Tuesday on the lawn in front of Nassau Hall (Jadwin Gym in case of severe weather).

Admission to all events is by ticket only.

The Baccalaureate service will be simulcast on a screen outside of the chapel as well as in Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall; McCosh 10 and 50; McCormick 101; and Betts Auditorium, School of Architecture; tickets are required at the simulcast sites.

Class Day will be simulcast in McCosh 10 and 50, and Commencement will be simulcast in Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall; no tickets are required at these simulcast sites.

The Baccalaureate, Hooding and Commencement ceremonies will be broadcast live on TigerNet Channel 7 on campus and on Channel 27 on Princeton cable television. They also will be Webcast and will be archived for later viewing at the same site.

Parking instructions for members of the University community and guests are available online. To ease traffic congestion, University employees are being asked to park in alternate lots. In addition, many employees will be dismissed at noon on Tuesday. For details, employees should ask their supervisors.