The rite stuff
Convocation’s team of volunteer marshalls helps keep the ceremonies running smoothly

by Joy Poliquin

Want to know what to expect at convocation? Dr. Reg Mitchell has committed the steps of the ceremony to memory. As the chair of the ceremonies committee and organizer of marshalls, he’s attended almost 30 years of convocation ceremonies, and he still hasn’t had enough.

“I guess I like ceremonies,” he says. “Being a part of convocation means you get to find out where all the students you’ve taught have ended up. Often, I’ll teach someone in second year and then wonder where that person got off to, because they seem to have disappeared into the abyss. Of course, not everyone likes convocation as much as me.”

Mitchell certainly tries to get others excited about convocation, since he’s in charge of recruiting faculty and staff marshalls for the ceremony. “I’ve had to do a bit of arm-twisting, because we need 12 marshalls per ceremony, but since staff started volunteering a few years ago, it’s been a tremendous help.”
Marshalls are responsible for organizing students in the Clearihue Building before they head to the University Centre for the ceremony. They’re also in charge of giving students a final pep talk and letting them know which side of the mortarboard the tassel goes on.

Students have to be lined up in the right order to receive their certificates, and organizing up to 380 students per ceremony can be a challenge. In the past, groups of students have wandered off, lost their place in line, or simply been in the wrong line up to begin with.

“Once or twice grads have picked up the wrong colour of hood, so, for example, a BA student found himself about to graduate with a BSc. Marshalls are there to help students find their way.”

The ceremony has changed quite a bit since Mitchell first arrived at UVic. The first convocation he attended was held outside at the ziggurat in front of the McLaurin Building. Then it was moved to McKinnon Gym until 1978 when the University Centre opened.

Technology has also helped alleviate some of the marshalls’ stress. Each student is given a number assigned to them from a computer database. In the past, students had to locate their degree group first and then organize themselves in alphabetical order. “Today, the grads don’t even need to know the alphabet,” jokes Mitchell.

Most years, the convocation runs smoothly, but every once in a while, the marshalls hit a wrinkle. “You have the odd person who wants to bring their baby or their dog across the stage, but we usually just let it happen. Mostly, convocation is a polished affair.”

(Joy Poliquin photo)