SFSU will hold their graduation ceremony at AT&T Park for 2015.
Photo by Tami Benedict/Xpress Magazine
This morning, SF State announced that they will be holding the 114th graduation commencement ceremony at AT&T Park for the first time since the ballpark was built fifteen years ago. The ceremony is scheduled for Friday May 22, 2015 at 5:30 p.m.
In an email sent out by the university president, Les Wong, he stated that he wanted a place where graduates and undergraduates would be able to celebrate this milestone with their friends and family in one place.
“Commencement Day is one of the most important milestones for our students, but in recent years it has become clear that the event has outgrown our current facility,” said Wong. “It’s important that we ensure family members and friends can be there to witness this special moment, and I’m thrilled that they will have the opportunity to do so in what has become one of San Francisco’s most iconic landmarks.”
Having the ceremony at AT&T Park will help SF Stare save money in the long run, because AT&T Park already has the amenities needed for the ceremony. This means SF State won’t be putting out any extra money to be getting Cox Stadium ready like they have in the past.
“Nothing can describe the excitement you feel watching our graduates and their families gathering for Commencement. So many emotions are in the air: pride, joy, relief, and anticipation. Our students have worked so hard and many have sacrificed much and overcome great odds, in order to get to this day,” said Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Luoluo Hong. “Hosting one large ceremony emphasizes the significance of our students achievements and honors the fact that it took an entire ‘family’ to get there: parents, friends, siblings, children, mentors, faculty and staff among them.”
AT&T Park is the home to the San Francisco Giants, three-time World Series Champions. The stadium can hold over 40,000 people, offers numerous ways to enter and exit the ball park, and there are several different ways to get to the stadium, with ample parking nearby, and Bart and Muni easily accessible. AT&T Park is located in the South Beach district, right on the waterfront by the Bay Bridge.
