The Office of the Registrar sent an email to students Tuesday morning regarding increased security measures for the University's 171st Commencement ceremony due to the presence of Vice President Joe Biden and former Speaker of the House John Boehner, who will be jointly receiving the Laetare Medal during the ceremony.
“For security reasons, students participating in the University Commencement ceremony in the stadium should plan to arrive at the north entrance to the Hesburgh Library beginning at 7:15 a.m.,” the email stated. “Every student must be processed through airport-style security checkpoints by the U.S. Secret Service. After being cleared, students will proceed out the Hesburgh Library south exit and will line up in a secure area on the library quad.”
Processing students through security is a “meticulous and time-intensive process” the email said.
“Late-arriving students could encounter long lines and may not clear the checkpoints in time for the start of the ceremony,” the email said. “During the 2001 and 2009 presidential commencement visits, some students underestimated the time it would take and were not inside the facility when the ceremony began.”
