Kristof’s commencement speech open to community, Rice announces

Change prompted by CDC’s relaxation of COVID-19 safety rules

Rice President David Leebron sent the following message to the Rice community in a May 14 email:

Given the news yesterday from the Centers for Disease Control, we are happy to invite you to join tomorrow morning’s commencement ceremony to hear our two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning speaker, Nicholas Kristof.

Nicholas Kristof

At 8:20 a.m. tomorrow morning (May 15), we will open up seating to non-ticket holders, which should allow time for ticketed guests of graduates to choose their seats.

We still ask that you wear a mask upon entering and moving around the stadium, but you may remove it upon finding a seat. The seats in the lower bowls are marked off in pods of four. Please abide by the markings to seat yourself. The upper bowls are not marked, so we ask you to be respectful of others, keep an appropriate distance and not crowd anyone. The ceremony will be fully visible on the Jumbotron, and the sound and view are excellent from both the lower and the upper bowls.

Please join us to hear Mr. Kristof’s remarks! You are welcome to leave afterwards if you do not wish to stay for the rest of the ceremony.

We hope to see you there!

(Please visit commencement.rice.edu for information on guest attendance to ensure you are aware of Rice guidelines and instructions for the ceremony. Thank you in advance.)