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Rainy day at DePauw

Monday, May 23, 2011
BY MICHAEL LOGLI Staff Writer
The DePauw University graduation ceremony was held back for a half-hour on Sunday with the expectation that the storm system plaguing the area would pass. While the ceremony was able to move smoothly for the most part, getting through speeches from keynote speaker Tim Solso, CEO of Cummins Inc. and DePauw alum, and student body president Christine Walker, it could not get through the announcements of the diplomas. Students such as Mike Benson, right, were sent inside Meherry Hall to finish the ceremony while family members, such as Jill Benson, were unable to enter because there was not enough room in the hall to accommodate everyone. While rain continued to come down, some parents waited outside for their graduate to leave the building, while others returned after hearing the ceremony was finished.

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  • Watched the ceremony on line. Really poorly planned.

    If the university event planners were insistent on holding an outdoor event and knew in advance the weather was going to be iffy, why, oh why didn't they skip all the honorary degrees and Mr. Solsa's keynote speech, wasting valuable time and just hand out the diplomas to those deserving kids? You would think the university, with a net worth and endowment funds, in the hundreds of millions of dollars, could have sprung for a large canvas tented area. Many of those parents sacrificed, enormously, to finance a six figure education cost for their children, only, to be denied, the pinnacle moment, of their children's achievements. Hire a new event planner DePauw and shame on you!

    -- Posted by I state my case on Mon, May 23, 2011, at 10:04 AM

  • I agree I state my case!!!

    -- Posted by chicagogirl on Mon, May 23, 2011, at 10:12 AM

  • It probably should have been moved inside in the first place - but if at that point rain didn't hamper the event there would be people griping about it not being outside. It was a nice gesture to try and hold the event outdoors, but the weather did not cooperate.

    You can't please everyone. Hindsight is 20/20 for all who know how they would have done it differently. Also, not physically seeing a graduate walk across the stage (be it a six figure education or five figure education) at whatever school, does not take away from the fact that it happened, I sympathize to an extent, and it is likely a lesson learned - but not something to be hateful about.

    -- Posted by BG-reader on Mon, May 23, 2011, at 10:42 AM

  • What a Shame for the Parents, Feel the Pain It looked like a nice setup when I walked through on Sat. Eve. But a better decision to move indoors.

    -- Posted by macvrod on Mon, May 23, 2011, at 10:43 AM

  • If I were parent that had spent about $50,000 per year or over $200,000 for my child to go to DePauw and then to be denied the right to watch him get his diploma, I would be extremely upset. What were these supposedly educated administrators at DePauw thinking. Obviously about themselves and not those who have paid their way to see their child get their diploma. If there was the slightest chance of rain, why couldn't they use Lily Center and the basketball court and stands?

    -- Posted by albert on Mon, May 23, 2011, at 1:18 PM

  • Yeah, there are a lot of things that DePauw doesn't think of-- that they sure as hell should considering what tuition is. As a freshman in fall 2008, tuition was 31,500 and in my senior year it will be over 37,000. Sure would be nice if the faculty and staff would earn their salary every once in a while and quit riding on the DePauw reputation, before it goes to hell.

    -- Posted by anonymous101 on Tue, May 24, 2011, at 2:01 AM

  • You dare question the all-knowing Depauw and their decision?! Bwahahahahaha.

    -- Posted by stranded67 on Tue, May 24, 2011, at 8:32 AM

  • Earn their salary how, by spoon feeding another spoiled lazy brat?

    -- Posted by Geologist on Tue, May 24, 2011, at 10:00 PM

  • What ever happened to a back up plan? Not good planning, DePauw University! You do have buildings that are adequate for a graduation ceremony, why take the chance and have so many families miss out on their graduate receiving their diploma.

    As I recall, the reception was always on the East Lawn. No reception?

    -- Posted by Grandma10 on Wed, May 25, 2011, at 12:57 AM

  • I didn't see any unhappy faces in these hundreds of pics from the photo albums; and yes - there was a reception per the pics.

    www.depauw.edu/photos/albumDetail.asp?t=3217

    -- Posted by BGreader on Wed, May 25, 2011, at 2:59 PM
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