'It all has to be perfect'

Preparations began Wednesday for Saturday's two commencement ceremonies. Nearly 7,000 graduates from every degree-granting school on campus will participate in two separate ceremonies -- one at 10 a.m. and the other at 3 p.m. Saturday in Assembly Hall. \nBy Thursday, lighting trussing, academic seals, sound systems and chairs were set up for the commencement.\nKate Bluhm, a deckhand hired to set up for the ceremony, said she took her setup job very seriously.\n"It all has to be perfect," Bluhm said. "We have to do it right the first time. Last year we had to redo one side three times. All of the administration is here, and if we're not perfectionists about it, it just doesn't go over well."\nIt takes a crew of 20 people nearly 12 hours over three days to set up Assembly Hall for Saturday's festivities. Head of University Technical Production Allen White assisted in overseeing the setup. \nWhite said between the two ceremonies, roughly 34,000 graduates, parents and friends will filter through Assembly Hall. The graduates will be seated on the floor and in the lower levels of stadium seating, and family and friends will be seated in the higher stadium seating and in the balcony.\nChuck Crabb, associate athletic director of events and facilities, is the man in charge of making sure Assembly Hall is ready for its inundation.\n"For us, it's simply a matter of making sure the building is prepared," he said. "I just step back and make sure things run smoothly."\nSimply making sure things run smoothly is no small task. Handling Saturday's commencements is comparable to having two sell-out basketball games in a row. Assembly Hall is cleaned thoroughly beforehand and quickly cleaned between ceremonies -- leftover programs, trash and forgotten items are gathered, and the seating areas are swept. After the second ceremony, the crew begins tearing down the stage and the stadium undergoes a final, thorough cleaning.\n"For the building services staff, they spend a great deal of time prior to the event making Assembly Hall shine," Crabb said. "It pushes them -- with the schedule set for 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. -- but they're very much up to the task. By sometime before the late-night news, we might be able to have a basketball game in here again."\nCrabb said he also remembers a time when the ceremony was held outside on the football field, but he said the IU board of trustees decided to move it inside so that everyone could be close to the ceremony. He said having the ceremony inside also allows spectators to enjoy air conditioning and alleviates any worries about inclement weather.