Lend a Helping Hand at Duke Commencement

About 15,000 people are expected to attend Duke’s commencement ceremony on May 10, filling seats at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park to watch Duke students graduate.But with the new location for this year’s ceremony comes questions: Where are the restrooms? Where’s a place to eat near the ballpark? Where do I sit for the ceremony? The ceremony is at Durham Bulls Athletic Park because the 85-year-old Wallace Wade Stadium, the traditional venue, is undergoing a renovation.To help with questions, commencement organizers are looking for 30 to 50 Duke employees and students to serve as volunteers starting before 7 a.m. on May 10. Volunteers will answer guests’ questions, help visitors find seats, and usher students to places in the processional line before the 9:30 a.m. ceremony. “They get to meet other Duke staff members whom they have never worked with before,” said Megan Hohenstein, senior program coordinator with Duke’s Office of Special Events and University Ceremonies. “It gives them a chance to connect with people outside their department. This is really everyone coming together at Duke and working together to make commencement happen.”The volunteer opportunity is only open to members of the Duke community, and employees and students must sign up on the event website. Students who are interested in volunteering would be eligible for extended housing, which would be extended to May 11 at noon.Volunteers receive a free Duke blue polo shirt and a straw hat, and donuts and coffee will be provided the morning of the event. Volunteers will help from about 7 a.m. to noon. Volunteers are required to attend a training session at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park on April 28, from 12 to 1:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided, and commencement organizers will present common questions asked by guests and provide the commencement schedule.Debbie LoBiondo, associate dean of Housing, Dining and Residence Life on West Campus, has volunteered at Duke commencement for 10 years. She has helped line up students before the ceremony, and in the past few years, she has been stationed in an information booth to answer questions. LoBiondo has met commencement speakers such as NPR “Morning Edition” contributor Cokie Roberts and has watched some of her Duke students graduate.“It’s the big farewell,” LoBiondo said. “Commencement is such a special weekend, and I still keep in touch with hundreds of alum through Facebook. It’s meaningful for me.”