Parent to Parent: Planning Tips for Making the Most of Your Zag Family’s Gonzaga Commencement Weekend

 

Although you may feel like you just dropped your student off for freshman orientation, graduation for the class of 2017 is just around the corner: May 13, 14 and 15.

If you’re a parent or family member of a Gonzaga University senior, you know very well that the time you spend with your almost-graduate is precious and fleeting.  The closer your student gets to being completely independent and on their own, the more you put a premium on your experiences together as a family.

So how do you make the most of your #Zagfamily’s time together, celebrating your student’s 2017 Gonzaga University Commencement weekend?

We hope these tips and insights from a fellow parent might give you an idea of what to expect. Most of all, we hope to help you make the most of your #Zagfamily’s experience.

Tip #1: Talk to your student about what he/she envisions for the weekend.

Every student is different and yours may be so deep in their senior studies and job hunting that they have not thought much about what the logistics of their graduation weekend will look like in May.

Do they want to plan a meal with some friends and their parents? Do they want to have a bigger family dinner Friday night or would they prefer a smaller lunch before the Commencement Mass on Saturday? Do they plan to leave right after graduation ends on Sunday and drive or fly home, or go to dinner and leave on Monday?

 A review of the options, potential family and friends who may be attending and your expectations for the weekend should give you all a collective, basic vision of what to expect.

Tip #2: Start firming up plans and booking reservations for the weekend.

Hotels, flights and rental cars all book up and may get more expensive as we get closer to May 13, 14 and 15.  Since this is graduation weekend, it’s wise to book early.

On this note, be sure to ask if there is a Gonzaga University discount at your preferred hotel!  Gonzaga is so well respected and such a vibrant part of the Spokane community, many hotels give a Gonzaga discount, so it’s always worth asking. 

Tip #3: Remember that Commencement Weekend is also the final Gonzaga “move out” time for your student.

This was something that I didn’t even think about until we arrived at the Gonzaga campus for graduation.  On top of finishing finals and going through graduation, your student will likely need to permanently move out of their apartment or house after the ceremony and figure out what to do with their belongings, since they have completed their time at Gonzaga.  Depending on your student’s finals schedule, this may be something they can work on a bit earlier, but it’s worth a conversation with your student.  The students living on campus can certainly stay in their apartments through graduation day, but will need to figure out logistics on moving out and doing a walk through with their RA. Students renting off campus will need to work things out with their landlords, as well.

Tip #4: Not to be missed: Your Student’s Commencement Mass on Saturday, May 13, 3:30pm at McCarthey.

A lot of parents tell us that the most memorable part of dropping their student off as freshmen at Gonzaga is the send-off ceremony during orientation weekend. There’s just this amazing feeling of the “milestone” parents and families are experiencing together as a community, as their freshman begins this new chapter in their lives.

Fast-forward to this coming May’s graduation weekend. The Commencement Mass is, to me, the “bookend” to your family’s experience in the Gonzaga community. It, honestly, is the most precious hour of time that our family experienced at Gonzaga. It’s a heart-led sort of experience where you can’t help but feel that extraordinary community feeling that Gonzaga is known for, throughout the country. No matter what your faith, it is truly a moment in the story of your student’s life that, I believe, will touch your heart and stay with you. You might say, it kind of “buttons up” your student’s time living and learning at Gonzaga University.

Tickets are not required and there is no guest limit.

Tip #5: Graduation Day Logistics: Plan sufficient time to get where you’re going and find a seat at the Commencement Ceremony, Sunday, May 14, 9:30am at the Spokane Arena.

We all love how easy and quick it is to get around Spokane, but Commencement Day is very different!

Last May, when we arrived at the Spokane Arena at about 8:30am for the ceremony, there were people lined up around the block waiting to get into the Arena and find seats. Tickets are not required and there is no guest limit.

Be sure to note that there is a lot of standing, walking and navigating stadium style stairs for those who attend; I think it would be wise to leave extra time to drop off anyone in your family who might need a little extra time to get in line and then find seats. If you have guests attending who have a disability, follow the link here for information about wheelchair rental and seating maps and information.

 

Tip #6 The Magical Mother’s Day Connection!

Moms, this one is for you! It’s a long-standing tradition that Gonzaga University Commencement is always on Mother’s Day. I have to tell you, my Mom and I found this to be such a treat; to spend this special day celebrating together with our #Zagfamily. (Spoiler Alert: the moms at the Mass and commencement get a couple of special Mother’s Day Blessings!) My adult friends, who went to Gonzaga decades ago, tell me that every year on Mother’s Day, they not only honor their moms, but also think back to their commencement at Gonzaga University. If you’re lucky enough to be a Gonzaga Alum, mom and have a 2017 graduate, it should be a memorable day, indeed!

Final Tip #7: Enjoy the moments.

Maybe this goes unsaid, or maybe we saved the best for last. Enjoy the moments that fill your #Zagfamily’s Commencement Weekend! As a parent or family member of a senior in college, you know by now that time flies and it’s the moments that we hold on to and remember.

Parents of the Class of 2017, this is your family’s time! Congratulations to your soon-to-be Gonzaga University graduate and your entire #ZagFamily.

 

2017 Commencement Weekend
May 12, 13, 14

Tickets are not required for the main ceremonies and there is no guest limit.

Saturday, May 13  (Ceremonies at McCarthey)
    9:00am-10:15am Law Ceremony
        Reception at Law School until 11:30am
     12:00pm-2:00pm Graduate Ceremony
        Reception on McCarthey South Lawn until 3pm
     3:30pm-5:00pm Commencement Mass* – all faiths welcome
        Reception on McCarthey South Lawn until 6pm
Sunday, May 14:  
    9:30am-12:30pm Undergraduate Ceremony at Spokane Arena
        Reception on McCarthey South Lawn until 2pm

Student attire for undergrads, masters and law students is a rental set with keeper cap and tassel by Herff Jones.  Order from Quick Links.