Another Perspective on Commencement

While taxis and limos disgorge their well-dressed contents near the Yard gates this morning. Cynl Fisher and his colleague. Al MacGilveray, will climb quietly to the top of the Memorial Church bell tower, where they will wait for further instructions Shortly before 10 a.m. they will receive an intricate series of hand signals and nods triggered by the appearance of Mason Hammond. Pope Professor of Latin Emeritus point man for the big operation.

Certain that the go ahead has been given. Civil and Al, perhaps the most valuable Buildings and Grounds employees at Harvard on this day, will tap the great church bell with a sledgehammer, producing the required "gay and cheerful tone" that an automatic clanger can not achieve.

Then Commencement can get rolling.

Hundreds of people without fancy titles or Harvard degrees have a hand each year in some part of Harvard's Commencement preparations. And in addition to the full-time and temporary workers contributing to the University's greatest ceremony. Cambridge store owners, policeman and long-time residents adjust their lives a bit each year at the beginning of June.

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The big debate among B & G workers concerning Commencement is over exactly when the fun begins. The overwhelming majority vote for "the end." The work orders last until well into the month, and the perspective on the frivolity is often less than enthralling. Says one grounds crew worker. "After every party, we go in and have to pick up all the trash." Adds electrician Don O'Shea: "We're not supposed to enjoy ourselves. We're here to make it functional. We get paid--that's our enjoyment."

Others take a more positive approach to their labors. Tony Sadberry and Steve Kennedy re-point all of the Yard's kiosks and "spiff up the rooms, and any miscellaneous areas that might be seen," but they look forward to the challenge. Sadberry explains. "If the alumni see what they like, they give more money," and he adds that he and his mate enjoy getting to know the alums during their coffee breaks and at various receptions. "We get a chance to dine with some people," says Sadberry with a smile.

While Cyril Fisher, Al MacGilvray, Tony Sadberry and Steve Kennedy are out in the field, the members of the Commencement Task Force will be back at headquarters preparing for "any last-minute crises.

The Task force is not a land-back operation, says Co-Chairman Victor A. Koivumaki '68, the alumni and reunions associate. "What I do when I wake up in the morning. Is I think of where something's going to go wrong," he explains grimly.

The confusion continues through the weekend for Koivumaki, who must also worry about the fifth, 10th and 15th reunions, held the day after Commencement. But the next day after that? "I usually try to do absolutely nothing, except sit out on my yard and maybe cut the lawn," Koivumaki says, "That's the day I turn off the beeper that I wear so I can always be reached."

While many connected to Commencement take deserved vacations beginning on or around June 11, one ventable Harvard employee takes a three day break specifically to enjoy the excitement John Shallow, the kindly and talkative gent who has checked bags at the exit of Lamont library for 12 years, says the Tuesday Phi Beta Kappa ceremony annually starts his "three-day program." Shallow plans to hit all the public events and get to each early for a wide range of seat selection. You get to see a lot of the students. I don't know them all, but you see them from coming in here and you can say so long."

Shallow, a native Bostonian, has witnessed countless Commencements. But he says he's been disappoint with the last couple of Commencements speakers. "Watson was just so-so and Vance didn't impress me that much either." he says The highlight at Commencement for Shallow is the student orations: "I always like those. Some of them really thrust into the administration."

Commencement also has an impact outside of the ivied walls. By agreement with the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, construction work on the Red Line ceases one day a year. And while the MBTA workers get a day off, most of the Square's other employees are extra busy.

Dan McLaughlin, manager of Cardullo's on Brattle St., says business picks up because of the return of alumni. "They come back because this place has been here 32 years," he says. "It's a deja vu sort of thing." McLaughlin adds that "you can usually pick them out. They have the Harvard hats on, and the father and mother are dressed up. And there's the proverbial camera-around-the-neck-type deal."

The annual pilgrimage of alums invades every part of the Square, even making its way down to. The Million Year Picnic, a comic book store located in a basement on Mount Auburn St. "A lot of kids come in with the alums and nine out of 10 times they want something" says Tom Linchan, an employee.

George Avis, owner of the Tasty restaurant, barks that he's been around "long enough to vouch for 25 years [of Commencements], at least." And to him, the week has nothing to do with increased business. "It's a chance to relive the past--that's the most important thing," he says, preparing a frank which now costs nearly a buck. "If anyone starts talking about how much money they're making because of graduation, then bah hum bug," Avis adds.

"Moe," a Cambridge policeman who says everybody knows him by that name and that name only explains that Commencement marks "a time when we have to be extra considerate because there are quite a few people who really don't know their way around." He adds that the Square is often confused but rarely gets out of control excerptor one year.

Painfully within memory, several graduations back, a marked gunman robbed Cambridge Trust single handedly during Commencement exercises. "I thought that unusual be use of the extra police officers. Moe says, "As far as I know the gentleman made a clean getaway."