For the first time in its 225 year history, the Commencement ceremony will be held on the Green this year.
Amidst sharp criticism from some seniors, the College moved the ceremony from the Baker Library Lawn to Memorial Field last year to accommodate the crowds coming to see President Bill Clinton, the Commencement speaker.
The ceremony had been held on Baker Lawn since 1953.
But even without Clinton, Baker Lawn is too small for Commencement, Assistant Director of Public Programs Olivia Chapman said.
"The problem with Baker Lawn is that classes are growing every year," she said.
"The narrowness is pushing parents onto the Green, which makes it impossible to see or hear graduation," she said.
The Commencement Committee has worked all year to find a new location, Chapman said. The committee polled seniors to learn where the class preferred to graduate.
"We took a poll in December of last year offering the options of the Green or Memorial Field," Chapman said.
"Most students felt the Green was the better of the two, since it kept graduation close to Baker Lawn and was not as cavernous as Memorial Field," she said.
The Green will be set up much as Baker Lawn was in years past.
"It is basically the same as on Baker Lawn except that we'll have about 2,000 more chairs to set up," Chapman said. "We will have upwards of 10,000 chairs."
Chapman said the ceremony will be held on the Green indefinitely.
"It will be held on the Green until someone decides we've outgrown the Green," she said. "It is the new permanent location of Commencement."
"We are only using half the Green so there is room to grow," she said.
