UW-Green Bay, LOG Archive, Vol. 33 No. 61



Commencement moves indoors capacity crowd expected Local media informed Faculty/staff need to pre-register Robing, staging areas A rare occurrence	Vol. 33, No. 61 / May 24, 2002 The LOG Online e-mail news digest is distributed each week to faculty and staff of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Links are included to more detailed stories at the Marketing and University Communication Web site and to an archive of past issues. Commencement moves indoors: capacity crowd expected Spring Commencement scheduled for Saturday (May 25) will be festive, fun and a little more crowded with today's decision to move ceremonies indoors to the stage of the Weidner Center's main hall. There was no limit on guests with plans for an outdoor event; now, each graduate is limited to the three rain-site tickets previously distributed. Even so, the 2,000-seat capacity of Cofrin Family Hall will be tested. Fort Howard Hall in the Weidner and the University Theatre in Theatre Hall are being readied as sites for overflow viewing via big-screen video. It is expected that, with nearly 500 seats, University Theatre should be open even to those without tickets. *** * * * * Local media has been informed A news release has been distributed to local print and broadcast media regarding Saturday's change of plans and the rationale for the move. The release is archived at http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/archive/2002may.htm#indoors * * * * * Last-minute faculty/staff members won't have a seat Commencement planners say the shift indoors and the subsequent space pinch means, this time more than ever, that faculty and staff wishing to participate in the processional MUST be registered in advance. Because all faculty/staff in regalia will be seated on stage (the graduates have the entire front orchestra), chairs will be available only to the 100 or so who are pre-registered. * * * * * Robing rooms, staging areas With Fort Howard Hall now designated as an overflow site for spectators, the robing areas for faculty, staff and platform party members become Studio One and Studio Two. Graduating seniors will not process, but will be directed upon arrival to take their seats in the front orchestra area of Cofrin Family Hall. * * * * * A rare occurrence How rare is a UW-Green Bay spring commencement being forced inside? Extremely rare. We're a hardy bunch, or lucky. The institution's unofficial historians can recall only one time, in 1996 (sunny day, but soggy grounds) when a decision was made in advance to use either the Weidner or PSC as an indoor rain site. That dates back to May 1980, when the natural amphitheater adjacent to the main entrance boulevard was first used. Most of the 1970s spring ceremonies were indoors all the way, either at the PSC (1977-79) or the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena (1971-76). Incidentally, the very first UW-Green Bay commencement, on June 1, 1970, was to have been outdoors but became the very first rainout. The scheduled site, the flagstand plaza above the Instructional Services Building, was changed to the Deckner Avenue gymnasium. * * * * *** LOG ONline is prepared for University of Wisconsin-Green Bay faculty and staff by the Office of Marketing and University Communication. Employees may submit a Brief, a Publication, a news item, an announcement, or offer feedback; call ext. 2527 or e-mail us at Log@uwgb.edu.

Commencement moves indoors
capacity crowd expected

Local media informed

Faculty/staff need to pre-register

Robing, staging areas

A rare occurrence

Vol. 33, No. 61 / May 24, 2002

The LOG Online e-mail news digest is distributed each week to faculty and staff of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Links are included to more detailed stories at the Marketing and University Communication Web site and to an archive of past issues.

Commencement moves indoors: capacity crowd expected

Spring Commencement scheduled for Saturday (May 25) will be festive, fun and a little more crowded with today's decision to move ceremonies indoors to the stage of the Weidner Center's main hall. There was no limit on guests with plans for an outdoor event; now, each graduate is limited to the three rain-site tickets previously distributed. Even so, the 2,000-seat capacity of Cofrin Family Hall will be tested. Fort Howard Hall in the Weidner and the University Theatre in Theatre Hall are being readied as sites for overflow viewing via big-screen video. It is expected that, with nearly 500 seats, University Theatre should be open even to those without tickets.

* * * * *

Local media has been informed

A news release has been distributed to local print and broadcast media regarding Saturday's change of plans and the rationale for the move. The release is archived at http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/archive/2002may.htm#indoors

* * * * *

Last-minute faculty/staff members won't have a seat

Commencement planners say the shift indoors and the subsequent space pinch means, this time more than ever, that faculty and staff wishing to participate in the processional MUST be registered in advance. Because all faculty/staff in regalia will be seated on stage (the graduates have the entire front orchestra), chairs will be available only to the 100 or so who are pre-registered.

* * * * *

Robing rooms, staging areas

With Fort Howard Hall now designated as an overflow site for spectators, the robing areas for faculty, staff and platform party members become Studio One and Studio Two. Graduating seniors will not process, but will be directed upon arrival to take their seats in the front orchestra area of Cofrin Family Hall.

* * * * *

A rare occurrence

How rare is a UW-Green Bay spring commencement being forced inside? Extremely rare. We're a hardy bunch, or lucky. The institution's unofficial historians can recall only one time, in 1996 (sunny day, but soggy grounds) when a decision was made in advance to use either the Weidner or PSC as an indoor rain site. That dates back to May 1980, when the natural amphitheater adjacent to the main entrance boulevard was first used. Most of the 1970s spring ceremonies were indoors all the way, either at the PSC (1977-79) or the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena (1971-76). Incidentally, the very first UW-Green Bay commencement, on June 1, 1970, was to have been outdoors but became the very first rainout. The scheduled site, the flagstand plaza above the Instructional Services Building, was changed to the Deckner Avenue gymnasium.

* * * * *

LOG ONline is prepared for University of Wisconsin-Green Bay faculty and staff by the Office of Marketing and University Communication. Employees may submit a Brief, a Publication, a news item, an announcement, or offer feedback; call ext. 2527 or e-mail us at Log@uwgb.edu.