Harvard to Move Convocation to Sanders Theatre Due to Expected Rain

Harvard College will move Convocation indoors and split the Class of 2030 into two ceremonies on Tuesday due to expected inclement weather, according to Harvard Undergraduate Association Co-President Zachary “Zach” Berg ’28.

The ceremonies will take place in Sanders Theatre rather than Tercentenary Theater, where Convocation is typically held outdoors. The program will also be shortened to accommodate both ceremonies during the afternoon, cutting all musical performances.

Members of the Harvard University Band were notified by email Monday afternoon that they would no longer perform at Convocation, according to a copy reviewed by The Crimson.

The Elm and Oak Yard ceremony will begin at 2 p.m., followed by the Crimson and Ivy Yard ceremony at 4 p.m.

A College spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Convocation is an annual ceremony held the day before the first day of classes that formally welcomes the incoming class to Harvard. The event typically features remarks from College and University leadership alongside performances from student groups.

The ceremony was last held in Sanders Theatre in 2013, after also taking place there in 2012. Convocation moved to a tent in the Science Center Plaza in 2014 and again in 2019.

Last year’s exercises marked Harvard College Dean David J. Deming’s first Convocation as dean. Deming devoted much of his address to artificial intelligence and its potential effects on the labor market.

Deming, alongside Harvard University President Alan M. Garber ’76 and Dean of Undergraduate Education Amanda Claybaugh, is set to give remarks at this year’s abbreviated ceremony.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

—Staff writer Sebastian B. Connolly can be reached at [email protected] or on Signal at sbc.23. Follow him on X @SebastianC4784.

—Staff writer Summer E. Rose can be reached at [email protected] or on Signal at ser.85. Follow her on X @summerellenrose.