Commemoration Day to remember
Commemoration Day
A mystery to many undergraduates, and most frequently viewed as a welcome day-off, Commemoration Day is a ceremony full of pomp and tradition that brings students back to College in their thousands, eager to attend with their families despite the cost.
Wednesday’s Centenary Commemoration Day saw the greatest number of graduating students in the history of the college, and marks a key point in the path of Imperial College: its centenary, coinciding with the last generation of 100% University of London degrees before the first Imperial College degrees are awarded to undergraduates next year. The day remains an important date in the College’s calendar for students and staff alike.
In 1945, King George VI and the Queen Mother visited Imperial College to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Royal College of Chemistry, the oldest of the institutions that were amalgamated into Imperial College in 1907. It was decided that this royal visit would be commemorated annually, and it is this ceremony, held in the Royal Albert Hall, at which Imperial undergraduate students celebrate graduation.
To attend this ceremony costs the average student between £120 and £150, covering the hire of robes, ceremony tickets for themselves and two guests, and a professional portrait to record the occasion. This is a price that most are willing to pay for their “big day,” although many students surveyed by Felix voiced concern at the high price charged for simple robe hire, and felt that the £30 charged for a portrait of the student alone was “far too expensive”.
“College can charge what they like for graduation, and they know we’ll pay it,” said one student, “the Royal Albert Hall is worth the price, but everything else is a bit of a rip-off.”
Felix spoke to graduating students, most of whom were broadly positive about their time here at Imperial. The oft-imparted advice to other students was to “get involved in clubs and societies. Pick one to be involved with for the rest of your university career, and work hard,” and to “use London, it’s on your doorstep so don’t just talk about doing stuff, actually do it.”
The overwhelmingly positive atmosphere was doubtlessly influenced by the combined factors of elation following the culmination of three or more years of hard work, and a genuinely inspirational speech from the Rector, Sir Richard Sykes, in his last Commemoration day address before Sir Roy Anderson succeeds him next summer.
Speaking about the number of students graduating on the day, he quoted Woody Allen in saying that “80% of success is just showing up,” leaving some wondering whether it’s been too long since Sir Richard sat an exam. He also discussed his impending departure from College, and followed by stating that he is now certain that Imperial’s education is “ensuring the economic competitiveness and security of nations.” He then shrugged off criticisms of College’s alleged lack of care for its students and its businesslike and corporate attitudes, saying: “Our students are the greatest achievement of the College.”
However, the most interesting parts of the speech came as he imparted some genuine advice to the new graduates before him.
“You will spend most of your life working. Make sure that you do something that you believe in,” he said, before he clarified his position in the education debate, saying, “You can have many careers. I never dreamt, when I entered industry, that in years to come the qualities which I would gain would be the same ones that Imperial would be looking for in a Rector,” encouraging those whose careers will have little in common with their degree titles, and those whose idealism still has the lead over pragmatism.
Lord Browne
In a controversial decision, one of the three honorary degrees awarded on Wednesday was a doctorate given to Lord Browne of Madingly, the ex-CEO of BP whose stellar career came to an end in May as he resigned in disgrace.
Lord Browne was widely tipped within College circles to be the prime candidate for the position of Rector as Sir Richard Sykes’ successor until he was forced to resign from BP earlier this year: 19 months before his planned retirement date. His rapid departure was caused by the discovery that he had lied in court over press allegations surrounding his relationship with Jeff Chevalier, a gay escort. Lord Browne was one of the most successful homosexual men in business, but preferring to keep his personal life private: he attempted, in January, to block press allegations that he met his lover through an online escort agency, claiming in court that they had met elsewhere. He was subsequently found to have lied, and potentially faced a perjury charge.
Soon after his resignation, it became clear that he would not be offered the position as Rector. Instead, Roy Anderson was named as the next Rector of Imperial College late this summer. It is thought that Lord Browne’s honorary doctorate could be considered as a “consolation prize” after being excluded from the running.
Singapore Graduation
Imperial College is to hold a separate graduation ceremony for students in Asia in late November “to celebrate the College’s relationship with Asia and its Centenary year.” Imperial currently has approximately 2500 students from countries across Asia, and this graduation ceremony is being held in Singapore in an unprecedented change to its celebratory traditions.
When asked for comment, students found this a strange decision, but understandable in general. One overseas student from Shanghai said that he “definitely preferred coming to England [to graduate],” and several home students posed the question: “Why doesn’t the College do something special over here [for the Centenary]?”
Whilst not ostensibly a sinister decision, worries have been voiced from several quarters that in an increasingly divided student population, some of the overseas students might become divorced from the traditions of Imperial College entirely if the arrangement becomes permanent, excluding them from the one event that is intended to bring all graduates together under one roof for a single grandiose event.
