As youâre turning the pages on this newspaper today (May 21), Francis Olympic Field at Washington University is in its fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth commencement ceremony, the end of a two-day marathon to accommodate the class of 2021 and their families. It may seem like a lot, but itâs the one way campus officials could ensure safety for every one of its 3,000-plus graduates who wanted to participate. So thereâs a lot of hoopla on the west end of campus: Eight dignified processions, eight chances to hear commencement speaker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar address the class and eight mass conferrals of degrees.