Dig In, Class of 2013
Commencement speaker, Metcalf winners to be revealed at Senior Breakfast

President Robert A. Brown will announce the Metcalf winners and Commencement speaker for the Class of 2013 at Senior Breakfast today. Photo by Cydney Scott
Call it the best breakfast ever: it’s free, it’s fancy, and it’s perfectly fine if you don’t know the name of the person sitting next to you.
This morning, 2,200 members of the Class of 2013 gather in the George Sherman Union Metcalf Ballroom at 10 a.m. for Senior Breakfast, where they will share the most important meal of the day (and one of the most celebratory of their last four years), reminisce, and find out who will speak at Commencement on Sunday, May 19, at Nickerson Field.
Robert Hill, dean of Marsh Chapel, will guide seniors in prayer before they dig in to fresh seasonal fruit, pastries, Applewood-smoked bacon, and spring asparagus and imported Gruyère strata. A slideshow will feature testimonials from seniors who volunteered to share their BU memories.
Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore will emcee the event, the official kickoff of this year’s Commencement ceremonies, and welcome students to the stage to discuss Senior Week activities and the progress of the Class Gift Campaign.
Schyler Cain, class gift coordinator at Development & Alumni Relations, says 1,974 seniors have donated more than $35,300 to the Class Gift, which allows members of the graduating class to earmark funds to the offices, programs, and projects on campus that mean the most to them. Those who donate at least $20.13 can request that their donation honor a specific professor, mentor, or classmate. Honorees will receive a handwritten thank-you note and a small gift in June.

If at least 2,013 seniors donate by the end of Senior Breakfast, Elmore (SED’87) will once again jump into the Charles River after the meal, as he did two years ago, but this time he’ll be accompanied by Mike DeFilippis (COM’13) and Lindsey Garber (COM’13), chairs of the Class Gift Campaign.
Elmore will also present several student awards—including those from the Community Service Center, Athletics, the Student Activities Office, and the BU Alumni Association—and recognize this year’s 81 Scarlet Key recipients, given to seniors who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, service, and scholarship.
President Robert A. Brown will wrap up the event and announce this year’s Commencement speaker, honorary degree recipients, Baccalaureate and student speakers, and winners of the University’s highest teaching honor, the Metcalf Cup and Prize and the Metcalf Awards for Excellence in Teaching.
Senior Breakfast is at 10 a.m. today in the George Sherman Union’s Metcalf Ballroom, with overflow seating available throughout the facility.
Follow @BUToday and @lesliefriday on Twitter for updates during the event.
Visit BU Today this afternoon for an updated article on Senior Breakfast and a list of the Commencement speaker, honorary degree recipients, Baccalaureate and student speakers, and Metcalf Cup and Prize and Metcalf Award winners.
Seniors can still donate to the Class Gift here, or before or during Senior Breakfast, with cash, credit card, or a text to pledge, to be counted toward ensuring that the University’s intrepid dean of students once more plunges into the Charles. Donations will also be accepted after the event.
More information about Commencement can be found on the Commencement website.
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