UW-Madison confers 7,868 degrees amid lingering campus turmoil (2024)

For 7,868 newly minted UW-Madison graduates, Saturday’s commencement ceremony was a last hoorah, a time to take in the view from the peak of their academic careers thus far.

But as the new grads joined arms Saturday for “Sweet Caroline” in Camp Randall, their loved ones looking on from the stands, proud, tired and sunburnt, many of those in gowns relished the occasion as a first.

Robbed of pomp and circ*mstance at their COVID-era high school commencement ceremonies, many of Saturday’s newest alumni came to Camp Randall without a true idea of what graduation is supposed to look like.

For new grad Kasia Barnas, the traditional high school stage was replaced by a vehicle dashboard — hers was drive-by ceremony, four years of hard work breezing by the rear view mirror without so much as a wave. By 10 a.m. Saturday, Barnas said the fanfare surrounding the noon ceremony made up for the high school ceremony she never got.

“It was a hard freshman year, but it was definitely, like, an amazing time once things opened up,” Barnas said. “You got to join all the clubs and meet friends.”

The Illinois native chose UW-Madison for its size and location and stayed for the friends she made and the supportive faculty in her biology major courses. To her fellow graduates, she had one message:

“Congratulations, we finally get a real ceremony,” she said.

As time ticked away toward the noon ceremony, car horns became more aggressive. Body spray and vape smoke lingered in the air. The haze was among the top items on the laundry list of complaints heard in passing — the sun, the foot traffic, the crosswalks and the ankle-breaker 6-inch heels catching gown hems. The human tendency to gripe doesn’t take a break for commencement.

Still, some found ways to push past their discomfort with a little help from their friends. Or sisters.

When her newly purchased white heels became a hindrance, global health graduate Neelam Sapovadia looked to her younger sister, Simran, as a knight in shining Birkenstocks.

As Simran embarked on a few cautionary sidewalk struts to test the heels, Neelam enjoyed the moment, reflecting on the past four years of her life, punctuated by study sessions in the Microbial Sciences Microcosm Cafe, parties and some shenanigans.

Degree in hand, Sapovadia feared no retribution as she fessed up to several of her crimes, secret sleepovers in Chadbourne Hall .

“One of my best memories is hiding from the RAs in my friend’s dorm while I slept overnight there,” she recalled. “Obviously small dorms, kind of hard to hide, but we were kind of making a ruckus.”

Still, they got away with it.

Less than 2 miles away, yellow patches in the grass were all that remained of a 10-day encampment set up by protesters with Students for Justice in Palestine. The tents were cleared Friday evening after protesters struck a deal with university officials, the terms of which included protesters not interfering with graduation.

Still, mixed in with the cheers Saturday afternoon, were plenty of boos and shouts of “free Palestine,” reaching a crescendo when Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin took the stage. Mnookin and several others delivered speeches, including keynoter and Madison alum Meghan Duggan, who played for the Badger women’s hockey team before winning Olympic medals in the sport.

The turmoil surrounding the encampment, alleged hate crimes and heightened police presence sparked discussions about free speech and colonialism during the last two weeks on campus. It was no surprise, then, when the topic came up among Saturday’s speakers.

“Throughout history, significant societal advancements have often stemmed from dissent, from civil rights movements to women’s suffrage. It’s in the crucible of dissent that we refine our values,” said Ciboney Reglos, graduating senior class diversity, equity and inclusion director. “We must recognize the weight of global conflicts and center the humanity of those affected by violence, displacement and turmoil.”

Among the caps and tassels were keffiyehs, traditional Arab headcloths that have come to symbolize solidarity with the Palestinian people. Officers escorted several graduates holding a Palestinian flag out of the stadium. Members of the group, none of whom were detained, declined to speak to media.

Saturday’s ceremony honored bachelor’s, law and master’s degree candidates. Doctoral, master of fine arts and medical professional degree candidates were recognized in a ceremony Friday at the Kohl Center.