The Class of 2001 may still have a Commencement ceremony on the Ellipse because proposed construction on the site did not receive funding, University officials said.

The National Park Service is planning to begin construction on underground parking beneath the Ellipse. If the construction would be underway, it would be impossible for Commencement to be held there. Currently, the construction project does not have the financial backing.

At this point, the construction is nothing more than an architectural design and a hope and a wish, said Lynn Shipway, special assistant to the vice president for Administrative and Information Services. Funding would have to be appropriated in Congress, and given the change of administration, I don’t think the Class of 2001 will have anything to worry about.

In a meeting in early March, park officials told Jim Hess, director of University Special Events, that GW would not need to find an alternative place to hold Commencement for at least a couple of years.

University Marshal Jill Kasle, who is involved in the planning process for Commencement, said construction is not the only reason Commencement could be moved to another location. Inclement weather could cancel the outdoor ceremony.

Commencement for the Class of 1995 was canceled because of a lightning storm and the ceremony was moved to the Smith Center, where graduates were allowed only two tickets for their families. Family members who could not attend Commencement because of a lack of space could watch the ceremony on TV screens in other locations on campus.

This remains the only option if bad weather hits, Kasle said. It’s the best we can do, and it’s not very good.

When the MCI Center became a viable option for an indoor graduation, GW President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg asked for student input. There was spirited debate, and in a written report to the president, students strongly recommended that graduation remain on the Ellipse.

Kasle said this decision by the students is fine with the administration, as long as people understand that the event can be shut down at a moment’s notice. The alternative location for the Ellipse ceremony is at the Smith Center. Some family members get to see the ceremony while others have to observe the ceremony via closed-circuit television at other campus locations.

Some GW students said they are aware of the risks an outdoor Commencement holds, but they are still in favor of Commencement on the Ellipse. It is a privilege that is unique to GW and that to change the location would be robbing them of that experience, they said.

Graduating on the Ellipse is something I brag to friends about, junior Maureen Fleming said. It’s something that I personally would enjoy so much more than graduating in some old arena. I affiliate graduation on the Ellipse with (GW).