Constitution Hall graduations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ours was in our HS field in 90 degree heat.

I'll go anywhere with AC.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just had graduation there. Found it needlessly stressful and overly complicated.

- an early morning: students boarded school buses at 8:30

- parents arrived at 10:15 when the doors opened w/semi controlled chaos, with DAR staff opening sections at a time and making hoards of guests wait as each section filled to open another. I understand it can't be a free for all

- we reserved a parking spot in a garage about four blocks away. That was about the closest you can get. Once at the garage, it's valet parking.

- once grad is over DAR staff wanted everyone to leave immediately. There was literally no room for all to congregate in the lobby, so understable, but ushers just kept yelling "move along people" and "exit, please". Lovely backdrop for photos but this wasn't and couldn't be allowed.

- mass crowding on the front steps. School buses idling to take faculty and staff back, everyone exiting, groups taking pictures.

- terribly long waiting for car to be returned via valet. Stood in stuffy, hot parking garage for over 20 minutes for car to be retrieved.

- exhausting, too complicated and felt rushed...all for pretty background.

While a bit crowded, the atmosphere was joyful and happy. Plenty of pretty backgrounds are a block or two away - your choice of White house, Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument or gorgeous general park view. Einstein is close by too. Take a taxi next time, so you can relax and enjoy the day.

[Anonymous]

Why not George Mason? TJ and other schools graduate there - plenty of room and parking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not George Mason? TJ and other schools graduate there - plenty of room and parking.

I also like the GMU graduations (that's where mine was!). The problem is that there are just too many schools. GMU was still holding FCPS graduations this past Wednesday and they started over a week ago.

[Anonymous]

G. Mason does a great job with Graduation. Plenty of free and convenient parking (wheelchair and handicap accessible), FCPD assisting w/traffic flow so it's
quick and easy to enter and exit, plenty of time to linger and get photos with friends and family, no ticket sales and the whole family can attend because there is plenty of seating.

Ticket sales for seating DAR, busing students, parents, faculty, driving in and out the city during rush hour (one way), walking 8 blocks (afternoon grad) for self park, rushing the graduates in and out.....why the overly complicated, Type-A, pretentious ceremony?

[Anonymous]

Constitution Hall is the classiest area location for a graduation, but there isn't enough room for the schools with really large graduating classes.

[Anonymous]

boy people complaint about EVERYTHING. damn spoiled americans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:boy people complaint about EVERYTHING. damn spoiled americans.

You know, a discussion about options seems reasonable. Constitution Hall is hardly simple for VA graduations. It's a beautiful venue but if you're trying to accommodate hundreds if not thousands of folks coming in from the suburbs -- and sometimes the far suburbs, as Fairfax to DC isn't an easy stretch, there are going to be kinks and maybe there are options our schools haven't considered out of pure inertia.

[Anonymous]

I'm just concerned about only getting 5 tickets. Am I supposed to leave out one set of grandparents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm just concerned about only getting 5 tickets. Am I supposed to leave out one set of grandparents?

For those that still have both grandparents living, there are plenty that have an extra ticket to share. Our extra ticket went untaken this year. FWIW, my graduate had no living grandparents in which to share the day. There was a great exchange after the last practice when the tickets were handed out. If you know a family with twins or triplets, ask them now for the extra ticket if you are worried.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:boy people complaint about EVERYTHING. damn spoiled americans.

You know, a discussion about options seems reasonable. Constitution Hall is hardly simple for VA graduations. It's a beautiful venue but if you're trying to accommodate hundreds if not thousands of folks coming in from the suburbs -- and sometimes the far suburbs, as Fairfax to DC isn't an easy stretch, there are going to be kinks and maybe there are options our schools haven't considered out of pure inertia.

There were five FCPS high schools that graduated at Constitution Hall this year, and they included four inside the Beltway and a fifth in Vienna. We loved the venue, but it's fine with us if people living further out would rather graduate at George Mason.

[Anonymous]

My DS1's graduation was at DAR last year. It was sort of a hassle getting there, but the venue is lovely and the ceremony was wonderfully done. No complaints.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:boy people complaint about EVERYTHING. damn spoiled americans.

You know, a discussion about options seems reasonable. Constitution Hall is hardly simple for VA graduations. It's a beautiful venue but if you're trying to accommodate hundreds if not thousands of folks coming in from the suburbs -- and sometimes the far suburbs, as Fairfax to DC isn't an easy stretch, there are going to be kinks and maybe there are options our schools haven't considered out of pure inertia.

We just did it last week for the second time. It is not that hard. People commute every day to nearly the same location, in traffic, with parking issues. It is a lovely location for a graduation and worth any perceived hassle. It is one day out of the thousands that your DC attended school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:boy people complaint about EVERYTHING. damn spoiled americans.

You know, a discussion about options seems reasonable. Constitution Hall is hardly simple for VA graduations. It's a beautiful venue but if you're trying to accommodate hundreds if not thousands of folks coming in from the suburbs -- and sometimes the far suburbs, as Fairfax to DC isn't an easy stretch, there are going to be kinks and maybe there are options our schools haven't considered out of pure inertia.

We just did it last week for the second time. It is not that hard. People commute every day to nearly the same location, in traffic, with parking issues. It is a lovely location for a graduation and worth any perceived hassle. It is one day out of the thousands that your DC attended school.

+1000.

[Anonymous]

G. Mason does a great job with Graduation. Plenty of free and convenient parking (wheelchair and handicap accessible), FCPD assisting w/traffic flow so it's
quick and easy to enter and exit, plenty of time to linger and get photos with friends and family, no ticket sales and the whole family can attend because there is plenty of seating.

Ticket sales for seating DAR, busing students, parents, faculty, driving in and out the city during rush hour (one way), walking 8 blocks (afternoon grad) for self park, rushing the graduates in and out.....why the overly complicated, Type-A, pretentious ceremony?

The above sound like problems your school created, not DAR. Why did they sell tickets?