Commencement is a huge undertaking at Johns Hopkins—this year more than ever, with the big crowds that speaker Spike Lee is expected to draw and a brand-new downtown venue, Royal Farms Arena.
To pull it all together, commencement organizers are calling out for volunteers—200 of them.
Employees, faculty, and students from the Hopkins community are encouraged to lend a hand for the universitywide graduation ceremony on May 18. Volunteers will perform a variety of roles at the arena, including greeting, guiding, ushering, diploma giving, and even hand sanitizing. There's also a need for helpers at the Homewood campus that day, assisting with shuttles that will transport families to and from downtown.
Interested in taking part? And getting a free shirt? You'll need your supervisor's approval (note: for Homewood employees, May 18 is considered a holiday) and the ability to attend one of two training sessions, offered on May 10 and May 12.
When you sign up, via the online form, you can indicate your preferences for what role you'd want to fill.
The ceremony at the center of all this—expected to draw approximately 1,500 graduates and 10,000 guests—takes place at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18, at Royal Farms Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St., and volunteers are needed for time slots stretching from 1 to 9 p.m. The Commencement website offers more information about all the preparation, transportation, and related events, including those for individual schools.
