40,000 visitors expected for Cal Poly's graduation — nearly doubling SLO's population
More than 40,000 visitors are expected to descend upon Cal Poly's campus for the 77th annual spring commencement ceremonies Saturday and Sunday.
To put that in perspective, San Luis Obispo's population is around 47,500, meaning the city will be packed and neighborhoods around the campus entrances will see heavy traffic for a lot of the weekend.
Three ceremonies for more than 4,800 students eligible to graduate will begin at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. Sunday inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium.
"Commencement is big day in the lives of our students and their families," Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong said in a news release. "For many, it is the exclamation mark on their educational experience at Cal Poly. They are leaving the university ready to begin a new challenge.
"I know that many will evolve into industry leaders and practitioners of innovation and creativity — skills developed and honed through Learn by Doing."
Andy Jassy, the leader of Amazon Web Services, and Wyatt Oroke, a Cal Poly alumnus-turned-humanities teacher who gained overnight fame on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," will deliver keynote addresses at the ceremonies, according to the release.
On Saturday, Oroke will address graduates of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and College of Science and Mathematics at 9 a.m., and graduates from the College of Liberal Arts and Orfalea College of Business at 3 p.m.
Jassy will address graduates from the College of Engineering and College of Architecture and Environmental Design at 9 a.m. Sunday.
The university also plans to award honorary doctorate degrees to wine pioneer Jerry Lohr, educator Margaret Fortune and retired PG&E executive Ed Halpin.
The school says permits will not be required to park on campus during commencement.
Because of road closures and residence hall move-out traffic, guests will need to enter campus from Highland Drive and follow directional signs for parking.
General parking will be available to all graduates and guests in lots H1, H2, H12, H14 and H16.
Accessible parking for guests with mobility impairments will be available in lots C7, H2 and the Grand Avenue structure. All vehicles must have a valid accessible parking place card of license plate in order to park in accessible lots.
Shuttles will be available for guests with mobility impairments and one companion.
For additional parking and shuttle information, visit https://commencement.calpoly.edu/guests.
This story was originally published June 14, 2018 at 11:55 AM with the headline "40,000 visitors expected for Cal Poly's graduation — nearly doubling SLO's population."