As a junior who is friends with many graduating seniors, I have heard a fair deal about the change of this year’s Commencement from its traditional location on the Front Quad outside the Admin building to the Salem football stadium. Some people care more about the change than others, and some folks barely have an opinion at all. The general consensus from the most seniors I spoke to, though, is that they are not happy with the change in their graduation ceremony’s location.
Some students formed their positions partially on the fact that the new location is specifically the football stadium. One student stated that most of their peers are largely uninvolved in Roanoke College’s football program, so they don’t understand why their class is going to be the first to undergo the change rather than a slightly later class which will have a higher percentage of students involved in that program. Another student, Annie Giannetto, put it a little more bluntly – she has “never been to a football game and never intend[s] to.”
Another aspect mentioned by several students is that the Front Quad is both picturesque and convenient for the graduating class to access. I heard many complaints about having to wake up earlier to get to the stadium on time for practice and the actual ceremony, as well as lamentations on how pretty the Quad is in the springtime.
One student’s account focused on tradition. They expressed anger at the promises of Roanoke College tradition, which largely “come to fruition” at Commencement, are being ripped away from this graduating class. This student said they chose Roanoke largely because of the richness of its traditions, and seems to feel cheated out of their expected experience by the decision to move the ceremony.
Not every student is adamantly against the change, though. Some students, such as William Fritze, did not seem to have much of an opinion either way. He acknowledged some of the previously mentioned ideas in his statement, but was largely neutral on the issue, stating that he is not particularly “attached to tradition for tradition’s sake.”
It is my hope that the unrest and tension between the students and the implementers of the decision will not stand in the way of a beautiful and successful 2026 Commencement!
Ren Monin
Staff Reporter
