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Media invited to cover events during UNC-Chapel Hill’s Commencement weekend, May 6-8

Anne-Marie Slaughter, trailblazer in male-female equality, to address 2016 graduates

 

(Chapel Hill, N.C.— May 4, 2016) – The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will host its spring Commencement on Sunday, May 8 at 9 a.m., featuring Anne-Marie Slaughter, a critically acclaimed author and trailblazing public leader who made waves with her article “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All,” as Commencement speaker. Members of the media are invited to attend all of the events scheduled throughout the weekend in celebration of Carolina’s graduates.

 

In addition to presiding over Commencement, Chancellor Carol L. Folt will connect with students, alumni and their families at a number of special events. She will speak at the Red, White and Carolina Blue Graduation honoring Carolina’s military-affiliated graduates and she will recognize a group of first-generation students during a special diploma signing.

 

The weekend will culminate in the formal Commencement presentation, with the Class of 1966 walking into Kenan Stadium with the Class of 2016 to listen to Slaughter’s address. As president and chief executive officer of New American and the author of her groundbreaking 2012 article in The Atlantic, “Why Women Still Can’t Have it All,” Slaughter sparked a renewed national debate about the continued obstacles to genuine full male-female equality.

 

Capturing the excitement and emotions of Carolina students as they share all of these moments with their professors and families will make for moving and celebratory coverage, both leading up to Commencement and on graduation day.

 

Friday (May 6)

Red, White and Carolina Blue Graduation

9 a.m.

The Great Hall of the Frank Porter Graham Student Union

Folt will attend this special graduation ceremony honoring Carolina’s military-affiliated graduates. The ceremony will pay tribute to their service and their accomplishments as

students by presenting graduates that are veterans, currently serving in the military or ROTC students commissioning upon graduation, with red, white and blue honor cords. The students will wear their cords at Sunday’s Commencement as special recognition for their military commitment. This ceremony is part of the University’s continued expansion of support for military-affiliated students. Media coverage would be a great way to acknowledge these dedicated students and service members. For more information, see https://deanofstudents.unc.edu/redwhiteandblue.

 

Media check-in: 8:45 a.m.

If you would like to cover the event or have any questions, contact: Jim Gregory (919) 962-8431, jim.gregory@unc.edu. He will also be the on-site contact on May 6.

 

Friday (May 6)

Carolina Firsts graduate diploma signing ceremony

2 p.m.

The Dialectic Hall of New West

The pride, excitement and emotion of Commencement are true for all graduating seniors but for first-generation graduates and their families, this time of year means even more. Folt will acknowledge this milestone when she hand-signs the diplomas of five graduating Carolina Firsts students. She will make brief remarks before the signing and both she and the students will be available for interviews afterward.

 

All five students are recipients of The Friday Award, which honors graduating first-generation college students who share former UNC system President William C. Friday’s passion and commitment for public service and education. While Folt will be signing the diplomas of all 662 first-generation undergraduate students graduating this May, the Friday Award honorees will be the only students to have their diplomas signed in-person.

 

Media check-in: 1:45 p.m.

If you would like to cover or have any questions contact MC VanGraafeiland, (919) 962-7090, mc.vangraafeiland@unc.edu. She will also be the on-site contact on May 6.

 

Saturday (May 7)

Doctoral hooding ceremony

9:30 a.m.

Dean E. Smith Center

Folt will speak at this colorful hooding ceremony, acknowledging those students that became masters in their fields. Graduate students, including those who earned their Ph.D.’s in the past academic year rather than just in the spring semester, will come to the stage to have the hood of the Commencement regalia conferred by their advisors or dissertation committee chairs. This is a great opportunity to showcase the diverse areas of academic focus Carolina supports and the exemplary students it inspires to invest in a lifetime of research and learning.

Hooding live stream link: http://commencement.unc.edu/spring/livestream-hooding.php.

The full ceremony will also be available on the University’s YouTube channel a few days afterward and can be found at http://commencement.unc.edu.

 

Speaker: Dr. Samantha Joye, Carolina alumnus and ocean researcher who studied the effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, will deliver the keynote speech. Read more about Joye here: http://carolinachronicle.unc.edu/2016/ocean-researcher-to-address-graduates/.

 

Sunday (May 8)

Commencement

9 a.m.

Kenan Stadium

Commencement website: http://commencement.unc.edu/

Commencement live stream link: http://commencement.unc.edu/spring/index.php

 

The full ceremony will also be available on the University’s YouTube channel a few days afterward and can be found at http://commencement.unc.edu.

 

The Class of 2016 will walk into Kenan Stadium with the Class of 1966, which is celebrating its 50th Reunion over the weekend. Also, Folt has arranged for an empty chair with flowers to be placed in the first row of seated graduates as a tribute to the students Carolina lost this year.

 

Speaker: Anne-Marie Slaughter, an acclaimed author and president and chief executive officer of New America, will deliver Carolina’s spring Commencement address. For more information on, visit http://unc.live/1rlutdO and the University’s homepage (http://www.unc.edu/spotlight/five-questions-commencement-speaker-anne-marie-slaughter/).

 

Slaughter photo: http://unc.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Miscellaneous/G0000_YPXmPhWYxM/I0000aTzeIZpOXmo/C00005plBUJIuM28

 

Slaughter will have a small window of media availability following the ceremony. Please contact Jim Gregory if you are interested in interview time: (919) 962-8431, jim.gregory@unc.edu.

 

Honorary Degrees: During the ceremony, UNC-Chapel Hill will award honorary degrees to five individuals. For more information on all of this year’s honorary degree recipients, visit

http://commencement.unc.edu/spring/index.php

 

Inclement weather: The Commencement ceremony will be held in Kenan Stadium. If it rains during Commencement, the Chancellor and organizers may shorten the ceremony, but it will not be relocated. Umbrellas will be permitted, but guests should use caution when opening umbrellas and be mindful of those seated around them.

 

If severe weather is expected Commencement morning, the University may postpone the ceremony to allow for the threat to pass. If there are weather-related delays, the latest possible start time for Commencement would be 11 a.m. If severe weather threatens while the ceremony is in progress and the attendees’ safety is at risk, the ceremony will be canceled and guests will be advised to seek shelter. The ceremony will not resume. Communications and Public Affairs will inform media representatives about the delay or cancellation. Weather-related updates will be available at unc.edu and commencement.unc.edu. Carolina also offers text alerts to inform media and all Commencement attendees if the main ceremony has been delayed or canceled due to weather or any unexpected circumstances. Sign up at http://commencement.unc.edu/spring/index.php.

 

Graduates: May Commencement is for students completing degree work this spring or summer. The official number of graduates is not yet available, as not all grades have been

recorded or students cleared for graduation. As of May 4, the University registrar estimates

that 6,029 students will graduate Sunday: 3,721 with bachelor’s, 1,383 with masters, 251 with

doctoral and 651 with professional degrees from the schools of dentistry, law, medicine,

nursing and pharmacy; and 23 with certificates.

 

Media parking: A limited number of spaces will be reserved in the department of public safety

lot off Manning Drive. From Manning, turn onto Paul Hardin/Public Safety Drive (one traffic

light west of the intersection of Manning and Skipper Bowles Drive/Ridge Road) and turn left

into the public safety lot. Media identification will be required. Parking will be available along

the left side of the cones across the lot and toward the 2nd entrance to the lot as indicated by a

special sign at the entrance.  Do not park in numbered spaces. Please RSVP to Thania Benios (thania_benios@unc.edu) no later than noon Friday (May 6).

 

Media representatives also may use lots and shuttles provided for Commencement guests, explained at http://move.unc.edu/events/commencement/.

Traffic into Chapel Hill is expected to be heavy from 7:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.

Media check-in/seating: From the parking lot, walk past the trees to Kenan Stadium. Enter through Gate 6. Walk left, enter at section 120, walk down to the field and turn right to reach media seating on the field. Karen Moon and MC VanGraafeiland from Communications and Public Affairs will be checking in press at the media table. This year, all graduates will be seated on the field. However, media representatives will not be permitted in student or guest seating areas during the ceremony.

Broadcasters, videographers and photographers: Audio feeds will be available. Access to the field and surrounding track level will be limited to the designated media seating area. The setup will include a good spot for shots of crowd reaction. Broadcasters are asked to bring their own drop cords.

Other ceremonies: Many individual schools and departments will hold their own ceremonies during Commencement weekend. Locations and times are posted at: http://commencement.unc.edu/spring/locations.php.

 

-Carolina-

 

Communications and Public Affairs contacts:

Jim Gregory, (919) 962-8431, jim.gregory@unc.edu

MC VanGraafeiland, (919) 962-7090, mc.vangraafeiland@unc.edu

Thania Benios, (919) 962-8596, thania_benios@unc.edu

 

 

 

 

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