Commencement Eve Candlelight Ceremony!

When is the Candlelight Ceremony?

All graduating students and their families and guests are invited to the Commencement Eve Candlelight, which will be held on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at 9 pm. The event will occur on the Main Oval in front of Thompson Library. Join us starting at 7:30 pm for festivities and food to celebrate our graduates. Guest speakers include President of The Ohio State University Dr. Kristina Johnson, Senior Vice President for Student Life Melissa Shivers, and President and CEO of The Ohio State Alumni Association Molly Ranz-Calhoun.

How do I apply to speak at Candlelight or Commencement Week?

Speaker applications are currently open and will close on April 2, 2023, at 11:59 pm.

Want to leave your mark at Ohio State before you graduate? Here is your chance! Apply for a chance to speak at Commencement and the Candlelight Ceremony. To apply you will submit a copy of your speech in regards to the prompt, fill out 1-3 references, and submit some basic information. 

If you require accommodations such as live captioning or interpretation to participate in this event, please contact Casey Petrae at petrae.4@osu.edu . Requests made two weeks before the event will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the university will make every effort to meet requests made after this date.

For further questions, please contact Casey Petrae (petrae.4@osu.edu)!