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Class of 2025 Illumination Ceremony in August 2021
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A Reflection from your University Chaplain
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Dear Tufts community and friends,
What a glorious week. Day by day, both skies and spirits are bright, and I am loving the sounds of campus: a truck’s beeping as chairs are unloaded and then perfectly placed row after row, the clang of tools as white tents pop up on green grass, joyful chatter as students pack Prez lawn to soak in the sun or don cap and gown for pictures under our canopy of freshly-leaved trees, buzz and birdsong all around. To be on Tufts’ Medford campus is a wonderful gift and an invitation to relish these moments before our graduates step into a future filled with both promise and uncertainty.
Some know their next move: a new job, a service year, an international fellowship, or a graduate program awaits. Others face the loss of hoped-for—or once-secured—opportunities due to hiring freezes across sectors and cuts to vital government programs. Some are just beginning to think about life after Tufts. No matter where each graduate stands, the possibilities and perils are all around us. Our institutions, communities, and neighbors are experiencing existential and violent threats to their well-being. How will we live out the inclusive and expansive values Tufts instills in this moment of moral and political crisis? How shall we, no matter what stage of life, respond?
As I’ve ruminated on such questions, I keep returning to the twentieth lesson that historian Timothy Snyder offers in his book entitled On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century:
Be as courageous as you can.
The good news? We are surrounded by courage. I see it daily in the Tufts community—in students, colleagues, and friends who advocate, innovate, question, and challenge. I saw it vividly Saturday night at Logan Airport, when beloved graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk, newly released from unjust detention, stood before a crowd and urged us to “not forget these wonderful women in the immigration detention system.” In her strength and clarity, Rümeysa widens our circle of concern. She models what it means to be as courageous as you can. Her witness is both a gift and a charge.
As our celebrations continue these coming days, let's keep drawing courage from one another and from our shared values—across all knowns and unknowns, possibilities and peril—to bring light, healing, peace and justice to our communities far and near. The world needs us to be as courageous as we can. Thankfully, this is work that we get to do together.
Pax et Lux,
Rev. Elyse Nelson Winger
University Chaplain
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Baccalaureate Ceremony for the Class of 2025
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Baccalaureate Ceremony for the Class of 2025
Saturday, May 17, 2024, 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., seniors please arrive by 2:15 p.m.
We are so looking forward to hosting the Class of 2025 and their guests for the 160th Baccalaureate Ceremony. Seniors, please wear your cap and gowns! The hour will include the Wendell Phillips Address from Ayo Oloyede, A25, live music, and the Senior Video and slideshow. See below for some common questions, and you can email the University Chaplaincy with any additional questions.
What is the Baccalaureate Ceremony?
The Baccalaureate Ceremony celebrates the graduating class the day before the Commencement Ceremony. The Baccalaureate Ceremony is a unique multifaith celebration that incorporates music, speeches from President Kumar and a graduating senior, and chaplains’ blessings into one celebration that has been personalized for your class. This tradition began in 1864 at Tufts.
How is the Baccalaureate Ceremony different from Commencement?
While the Commencement Ceremony is launching you fully into your post-Tufts experience, the Baccalaureate Ceremony is the last time your class will be together to connect over your shared experience as Tufts students. Baccalaureate features student voices, song, and opportunities to reflect; we invite you throughout the Ceremony to reflect on your own experience of Tufts. Commencement is also for all graduating Tufts students, including graduate and professional students, while the Baccalaureate Ceremony is just for undergraduates and their guests.
You can find more information, including an extended FAQ about the event, through the link below.
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| Religious and Philosophical Programs
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Our regular weekly gatherings are now paused for the semester. Please follow us on Instagram for upcoming summer events and gatherings. The events and gatherings below are for graduates and their guests over Commencement Weekend. Please email the University Chaplaincy with any questions.
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Senior Week and Commencement Weekend Gatherings
The University Chaplaincy and associated chaplaincies are hosting a number of events over Commencement Weekend and Reunion Weekend. You can find more information about each event by following the link below. A brief summary is included here:
Friday, May 16
Meditation Tea with the Buddhist Chaplaincy, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m., Interfaith Center
Muslim Friday Prayer Service (Jummah) and Lunch, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., Interfaith Center
Goddard Chapel Alumni and Guests Open House, 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Goddard Chapel
Hillel Open House Reception and Student-Led Services, 5:15 p.m. - 6:45 p.m., Granoff Family Hillel Center
Shabbat Dinner at Hillel, 7:00 p.m., Granoff Family Hillel Center
Saturday, May 17
Hillel Student-Led Shabbat Morning Services, 10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m., Granoff Family Hillel Center
Shabbat Buffet Lunch at Hillel, 12:00 p.m., Granoff Family Hillel Center
University Chaplaincy Interfaith Graduate and Family Lunch, 12:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m., Interfaith Center
Baccalaureate Ceremony for the Class of 2025, 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Academic Green
Catholic Mass for Graduates, Family, and Alumni, 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Goddard Chapel
Illumination for the Class of 2025, 10:30 p.m. - 11:15 p.m., President's Lawn
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Interfaith Graduates Luncheon hosted by the Protestant Chaplaincy and the Humanist Chaplaincy
Saturday, May 17, 2025, 12:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Deadline extended!
All graduates and guests are welcome to attend the Interfaith Graduates Luncheon this Saturday! Join us for lunch and festivities. Please RSVP below ASAP with the total number of guests in your party. You can contact Humanist Chaplain Anthony Cruz Pantojas or Protestant Chaplain Dan Bell with any questions.
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Catholic Mass for Graduates, Alumni, and Families
Saturday, May 17, 5:00 p.m., Goddard Chapel
All are welcome as we celebrate the last Mass of the academic year! Graduates, please join us with your family and friends as we lift up your accomplishments, send you forth, and give thanks for this vibrant community that continues to bless us through the decades. Please email Catholic Chaplain Lynn Cooper with any questions.
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Frontiers of Democracy Conference, hosted by Tisch College
Thursday, June 19 through Saturday, June 21
Frontiers of Democracy is an annual conference hosted by the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University since 2019. This year’s special theme is “Listening and Leading." Please hold the dates for this summer’s conference (June 13-15) and register and purchase tickets below.
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Upcoming Religious Celebrations and Observances
To see more upcoming religious holidays and festivals, including information about seeking religious accommodations at Tufts, please follow the link to the Tufts Multifaith Calendar.
Declaration of the Bab
Thursday, May 22 – Friday, May 23, 2025
Begins at sundown on the first day listed. Commemorates the day in 1844 on which he announced his identity as the "Bab" ("Gate"), the herald of the new age.
Ascension of Baha'u'llah
Tuesday, May 27 – Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Begins at sundown on the first day listed. Marks the anniversary of the death of the founder of the Baha'i faith. Observances may include limits to participation in academics or work.
Ascension of Jesus
Thursday, May 29, 2025
The celebration of Jesus' ascension into heaven and enthronement as universal sovereign. It comes 40 days after Easter. The date observed by Protestants and Roman Catholics is often different from the date observed by Orthodox Christians, but in 2025, the date is the same. Observances may include limits to participation in academics or work.
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Support the University Chaplaincy
Supporting dynamic programs at Tufts University in religious, spiritual, ethical, and cultural life is easy and vital to our work. To donate, please click on the button below. Thank you for your generosity.
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The University Chaplaincy is a dynamic hub supporting religious, spiritual, ethical, and cultural life for all members of the Tufts community. We provide spiritual care, support religious and philosophical communities, educate about spiritual and ethical issues in society and the world, and promote multifaith engagement.
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