Parents' Information

Hard to imagine, but in just a few short months, your child’s time at Colgate will be drawing to a close. Although much of what is to come may be uncertain, one event is fast becoming a reality. Therefore, we would like to cordially invite you, on behalf of the Class of 2009, to celebrate with us in our commencement services.

Commencement Ceremony

Torchlight Ceremony
The Torchlight Ceremony on Saturday night is one of Colgate's oldest traditions. Every graduating senior receives a large, lighted torch. The Class of 2009 procession is led through the campus grounds and concludes at Taylor Lake with the singing of the Alma Mater. The ceremony, although very beautiful, can be dangerous if students are intoxicated and do not have full control of themselves. Cooperation from both students and parents is vital. The past several graduating classes have made a concerted effort to cut down the level of drinking taking place prior to and during the ceremony. We hope the members of the Class of 2008 and their guests will continue this effort to ensure the safety of everyone and help maintain the tradition for future graduating classes.

On-Campus Housing and Local Accomodations
The Office of Residential Life will provide housing on campus for parents and family.  In addition, you can view a complete list of local area accommodations including local hotels and bed and breakfasts.

Commencement Videos
Colgate has partnered with Collegiate Video to capture all the important highlights of Commencement Weekend including Torchlight, the Baccalaureate speaker's address, Commencement ceremony and most precious of all, footage of your graduate crossing the stage and receiving the Colgate diploma.  You should receive a brochure and order form in the mail with your Commencement information.  Videos are approximately 80 minutes in length.

For pricing information, download the order form in Adobe Acrobat PDF format.

Photos
A photographer from Chappell will be at the Commencement ceremony to take a photograph of your graduate's special moment of recognition.  You will receive a free proof of this photo in the mail five to seven days following the ceremony.  If you like the photo and wish to order prints or obtain answers to any questions you may have, visit www.chappell.com or call 1-800-424-3686.

Announcements
Seniors can order their graduation announcements online Click Here.

Congratulations on your graduation from Colgate!
Since commencement is a major milestone, we encourage you to note your accomplishments by sending a news release to your local newspaper. You can personalize the sample press release (Click Here) with information about your Colgate experience, including honors earned, internships, extracurricular activities, sports teams, and future plans.

• Copy the sample news release into a word processing document.
• Replace the bolded information with your personal details.
• Copy the release into an e-mail message and send to your local papers. "Local Resident Graduates from Colgate University" should be the subject line of the e-mail.
• You can find the contact information for you local newspaper by visiting its website.

If you have questions, please contact Anthony Adornato, manager of media communications, at 315-228-6637 or aadornato@colgate.edu.

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