Anonymous
Post 06/01/2026 12:38     Subject: Graduation 2026
Anonymous wrote:Is it cold in that arena? Warm? Hot?

It was cool/bordering on cold during QO’s ceremony at 9 am on the 29th. The guy next to me had a sweatshirt draped over him like a blanket. The elderly would have definitely wanted long sleeves.
Anonymous
Post 06/01/2026 11:02     Subject: Graduation 2026
Anonymous wrote:Are the cord colors listed in the graduation ceremony booklet? Will the booklet tell guests that Larlo's medal and cord colors indicate he earned a seal of biliteracy, completed financial math, and was national honor society?


They are for my school. The key is 1.5 pages long. In the past, they've had symbols next to student names that represent what each graduate earned or participated in. I liked that a lot more. I think that this year the programs had to be submitted a month before that information was made available to the individuals putting together the programs, so we're left with a key.
Anonymous
Post 06/01/2026 10:43     Subject: Graduation 2026
this thread is insane lol
Anonymous
Post 06/01/2026 07:40     Subject: Graduation 2026
Cashless venue
Anonymous
Post 06/01/2026 07:37     Subject: Graduation 2026
Anonymous wrote:Is it cold in that arena? Warm? Hot?


Just like it will be at a basketball game?
Anonymous
Post 05/31/2026 23:26     Subject: Graduation 2026
Is it cold in that arena? Warm? Hot?
Anonymous
Post 05/31/2026 22:31     Subject: Graduation 2026
Are the cord colors listed in the graduation ceremony booklet? Will the booklet tell guests that Larlo's medal and cord colors indicate he earned a seal of biliteracy, completed financial math, and was national honor society?
Anonymous
Post 05/31/2026 14:01     Subject: Graduation 2026
Anonymous wrote:There is no winning for either the school system or the parents of the graduates. For some driving to DAR is an hour plus and for some driving to UMBC is an hour plus.

Graduating in the school field would be the ideal, but then you’re limited to the amount of people who can go to the graduation. I suppose nobody wants to or it’s too expensive to graduate at Montgomery College even though they’re both county funded (? Tell me if I’m wrong about what college.) UMBC might be further out, but with the financial crisis that the county is in, it’s the prudent choice.


MC would make the most sense and just pay expenses. Karla is the MCPS liaison so surely she could make it happen. Many don’t have easy access to transportation.
Anonymous
Post 05/31/2026 12:12     Subject: Graduation 2026
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Maybe if College Park and DAR didn't charge the county like 3x what UMBC is charging then we wouldn't have to make the switch. With all the budget talks going on, do we really want to be spending over a quarter of a million just to host graduations?


Mc has space and Mcps gives them a small fortune. Or, the field. You are right, we should spend umbc either.


MC is a good option in my opinion. They have a huge space with an air conditioned tent in a reasonably accessible part of the county. Lots to like about it.

I’m not sure why it doesn’t seem to work out.


Politics.

Bad planning? In other words, typical MCPS. I can’t think of any other school district that spends so much money to do graduations at such an inconvenient location out of the county.


This thread is amusing to me because two years ago I started a thread saying I was bummed out about driving so far to go to a really impersonal location in a county/place we had no connection to and at a time that felt really uncelebratory, and everyone mocked me as a fragile snowflake. Obviously we all survived but I wouldn’t say it was a particularly cherished memory for my graduate or us and I didn’t invite any family members to take a whole day off work and leave their homes at the crack of dawn to get to Baltimore county for the graduation. It was just a very “whatever” experience for all involved.


Welcome to DCUM where everyone is mocked for everything. But I can assure you that many many parents are very unhappy to go to UMBC for graduation when MoCo alternatives exist.



I’d say it’s DCUM and MCPS where parents *complain* about everything. A couple years ago we had graduation at the HS, which presents a different set of issues. And there were plenty of complaints. How many seniors are graduating across the county? 10,000? 12,000? Even 400-500 per high school? It’s an impossible crowd to please.
Anonymous
Post 05/31/2026 12:08     Subject: Graduation 2026
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Maybe if College Park and DAR didn't charge the county like 3x what UMBC is charging then we wouldn't have to make the switch. With all the budget talks going on, do we really want to be spending over a quarter of a million just to host graduations?


Have it on the school's fields

The county still charges to have it on the school fields and the number of tickets are restricted. Regardless of where it is, there is always a contingent of parents who complain.
Anonymous
Post 05/29/2026 16:49     Subject: Re:Graduation 2026
This page has the details on the bag policy and prohibited items (scroll down to the bottom):

https://www.chesapeakeemployersinsurancearena.com/p/events-/graduations
Anonymous
Post 05/29/2026 15:48     Subject: Graduation 2026
You should be receiving an email but it will be clear bags or small bags.
Anonymous
Post 05/29/2026 14:14     Subject: Graduation 2026
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is it assigned seats in the arena at UMBC ?


No.

Although there are numbers on the tickets, it is open seating.


You should get there with plenty of time to spare because you will need to go through security and the line was very long.


Bag check? Or metal detector type same as for basketball games etc.?
Anonymous
Post 05/29/2026 14:12     Subject: Graduation 2026
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How many graduation ceremonies did DAR hold per day? UMBC has three a day?


DAR had two per day, morning and afternoon. UMBC has three, morning, afternoon, and evening.


Zimmerman read a 2nd grade story book for her speech to the grads at Sherwood.


To show the reading levels of our graduates???
Anonymous
Post 05/29/2026 13:36     Subject: Graduation 2026
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How many graduation ceremonies did DAR hold per day? UMBC has three a day?


DAR had two per day, morning and afternoon. UMBC has three, morning, afternoon, and evening.


Zimmerman read a 2nd grade story book for her speech to the grads at Sherwood.