In the middle of the biggest event of the CMC year is a maze of numbers, all looped to a master date celebrating the College's newest graduating class. This year that date was May 15, 2010, and on it, 296 CMCers marched side by side to Pritzlaff Field, to a 120 x 210-foot white tent nonetheless, to receive their degrees, which this year included 20 master's of arts in finance degrees for the 20 graduates of The Robert Day School at CMC.
It was the 63rd Annual Commencement ceremony to be exact, and nearly a dozen different individuals, including President Pamela Gann and guest speaker Henry R. Kravis '67, addressed the crowd at various timesa crowd, since we're tracking numbers, of about 3,500.
Cindi Guimond, who coordinates CMC's Commencement activities, says the process of organizing this super-sized event is a study in bulk quantities, from the number of volunteers and employees needed to staff various events, to the amount of food and champagne that goes into throwing the ensuing reception for graduates and their guests on Parents Field.
For fun, here are some of her notes, broken downyesinto numbers:
* 100 tables on Parents Field, each with eight chairs
* 3 extra golf carts for staff to use to assist with commencement
* Food at the reception on Friday evening (alumni):
One ice sculpture
33 dozen aioli and tapanades
84 dozen beef sate
68 dozen California vegetarian rolls
68 dozen chicken sate
240 dozen shrimp on ice
68 dozen spanikopita
68 dozen pot stickers
68 dozen flautas
66 dozen chocolate dipped strawberries
* Reception (food for 3,500 guests after commencement)
Thousands of chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, raspberry cheesecake bars, plus cases after case of champagne and punch.
Commencement teamwork, she says, is another study in numbersa labor of love divided by a substantial staff that includes all of the student Resident Assistants who serve as ushers, plus Guimond herself (serving as head usher), and a baker's dozen worth of supporting ushers and others who help keep order during the ceremonies or man the information tables. Not to be forgotten, she carefully notes, are all the staff from Facilities and Campus Services who make sure the grounds and facilities are in tip-top shape for the eventful week. Enjoy 2010 Commencement coverage