The day is Saturday, May 25. With caps and gowns ready, hundreds of seniors prepare to walk across the stage with hard- earned diplomas and their futures in hand. Speeches have been prepared, stages have been constructed and by Saturday at 9:15 a.m., the entire Elon University community has come together to send off the Class of 2013 in the most traditional way possible. And it is these traditions that have been so intricately woven into the core of Elon’s philosophy.

This will be the 123rd year of the Commencement exercises Under the Oaks, which marks that many years of traditions in the making. While the name Elon literally means “oak” in Hebrew, the ceremony did not begin presiding Under the Oaks until 1923. Therefore, the Class of 2013 is a significant milestone in Elon history, celebrating the 90th anniversary of the traditional graduation ceremony.

It is apparent that the university recognizes the significance of maintaining traditions. John Burbridge, an Operations and Supply Chain Management professor, has taught at Elon for 17 years and has attended Commencement on a regular basis.

Despite changes within the masters program and their involvement with the undergraduate ceremonies, Burbridge could find little change between past and present graduation ceremonies.

“For the most part, graduation has pretty much remained the same,” Burbridge said.

One very important but little known tradition within the pre-ceremonial events is the faculty vote. Jessica Gisclair, chair of the School of Communications and professor at Elon, has taught at the school for 12 years. She explained that each year before graduation, the faculty meets to vote on the list of graduates, and whether they are eligible to walk across the stage.

“Of course we have never said no. It is actually a real moment of being proud of all our students,” Gisclair said.

After the faculty votes, the graduates meet with President Leo Lambert and the Commencement speaker in Jordan Gym. This year the commencement speaker will be “NBC Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams. The graduates have time to spend with Williams before all respective parties prepare for their procession into the ceremony.

By 9:15 a.m., the faculty is dressed in full regalia, waiting by the entrance of West Area to welcome the graduating Class of 2013.

Present each year are Elon’s traditional symbols, which include the Elon University mace, the staffs, the gonfalons and the international flags. Each year Elon showcases flags representing the home country of every student in the graduating class. The Platform party will be seated on stage during the ceremony and will consist of Lambert, Williams, Provost Steven House, Elon Chaplain Jan Fuller, those calling the names of the graduates and the singer of the National Anthem and Elon Alma Mater.

Many customs during the ceremony mirror a similar event the senior class attended almost four years prior — New Student Convocation. While the students walked in through two rows of faculty their first year at Elon, so they will exit between the same two lines upon their graduation. Students are also given an oak sapling at the end of the ceremony, which represents the growth of the acorn they were given upon arrival.

One tradition that will never change is the faculty-student relationship. After dedicating four years to their degree, the graduates become familiar faces both inside and outside of the classroom. To see those students graduating is exciting for many members of the faculty.

“It’s always nice to see students you know walk across that stage. Just the expression on their face is the highlight of the ceremony. Because in all honesty that’s why everyone is there, to see them,” Burbridge said.

With faculty, family and graduates present, the graduation ceremony begins. And so it will end with Lambert’s legendary closure, “Long live Elon.”