Those who are on campus to see their family members graduate or to participate in the reunion revelry have Facilities, Operations and Management to thank for the beautification of the College's campus.
Special preparations were made this year to hide the massive amount of construction currently taking place around campus.
The cranes being used to construct the Moore Psychology Building were removed from the site so that they would not be in the background of Commencement photos.
Assistant Director of Facilities Planning Jack Wilson said workers had to cover the fencing around Webster Hall with dark green fabric -- the type of material used on walls surrounding tennis courts.
Although the green screen only reaches about eight feet high, Wilson told The Dartmouth in late May that any unsightly aspect of the construction which might "poke up above the screen" would be removed.
Workers also removed the construction trailers from the site and did their best to tidy up the surrounding sidewalks, Wilson said.
"They know they need[ed] to make it look nice," Assistant Director of Facilities Services Linda Hathorn said.
FOM, which started working weeks in advance of Commencement, did not run into any major complications.
"Life this year [was] relatively the same as last year," Hathorn said.
Just as last year, Dartmouth students became accustomed to dodging sprinklers as they walked across the Green, since part of FOM's preparation consisted of seeding, mulching and watering the grass, Hathorn said.
"The grounds people [had to] make the grass as green as possible and then mow it," she said.
Hathorn said painters were also sent out early to touch up posts, flag poles and handrails.
FOM was also responsible for the construction of the Commencement stage -- a project which workers started early this year, on May 14, since the faculty risers needed to be restructured with new boards and a new base.
While the stage construction was in its final phases, chairs were lined up on the Green. The sound system was installed yesterday.
Smaller jobs under FOM's direction included shining windows, polishing floors and ensuring the security of the handrails in Baker Library to prepare for the many Baker Tower tours taking place this weekend.
Although the College tries to have as little campus improvement as possible taking place during the days leading up to Commencement, the walkways in front of Dartmouth Hall received a badly-needed repaving, Hathorn said.
