Events & Traditions

100 Days 'til the Tassel Turns is an event hosted by the Office of Alumni Engagement of our graduating seniors to celebrate an important milestone –  that these students are just 100 days away from Commencement! Each year, we look forward to celebrating  all of our seniors' accomplishments as they prepare to become the newest members of the Christopher Newport Alumni Community.

Many thanks to the Christopher Newport Student Alumni Society for your instrumental assistance and planning of this special celebration for our graduating class each year!

Starting in 2017, this newer tradition is where the Office of Alumni Engagement invites graduating seniors, parents and grandparents to write a letter to be opened at their graduate’s 50th reunion. Letters can be dropped off at the Gregory P. Klich Alumni House during The Commencement Experience for safekeeping.

If you would like to mail us your letter please address the outer envelope to:

Gregory P. Klich Alumni House
1 Avenue of the Arts
Newport News, VA 23606

On the inner envelope, please write the graduate’s name and class year. (Ex. Sydney Hawk '23)

One of the most meaningful and heartfelt traditions during Commencement Week is the Candlelight Ceremony. Dressed in white, positioned near the steps of Christopher Newport Hall, the entire senior class gathers while surrounded by their families, friends, faculty, staff and alumni to be inducted as the newest members of the Christopher Newport Alumni Society. The event features student speakers and performances, the 50th Reunion Class, and the pinning ceremony which includes the recitation of the Alumni Oath, the pinning of graduates with the official alumni pin, signing of the alma mater and the lighting of candles. The event is capped off with fireworks and great fanfare.

Alumni Oath

As a graduate of Christopher Newport,
I will represent the mission and the spirit of my alma mater.
I will take advantage of every opportunity
to speak on her behalf, to return to campus often,
to recruit excellent students, and to give back my time,
my talent and my treasure. I will use what I have learned
to do work that shapes, defines, and enriches the world around me.
I will represent my alma mater with passion and loyalty,
I will serve my community, seek equality, and embrace all people.
and I will live a life of significance.
I am a graduate of Christopher Newport
and I am a Captain for Life.

Each year, the Office of Alumni Engagement and the Office of Student Initiatives invites current sophomores to the Alumni House to celebrate another special milestone - halfway through their time as an undergraduate at Christopher Newport!

Students join fellow classmates, alumni, faculty and staff for an open house experience to commemorate their achievements to date. Sophomores are welcomed into the Alumni House for a tour, a sweet treat, fun photo opportunities, and the best part - to receive their commemorative “Halfway”  pin, signifying the "heart" of the Alumni pin in anticipation for earning and adorning their completed pin with honor in two short years. They are also now encouraged to write a letter to their Senior year selves that our office holds on to and then gives to them to reflect back on at the end of their senior year before graduation.

The Halfway Til The Tassel Turns  event takes place annually, in April, at the Gregory P. Klich Alumni House.

In 2016, a new tradition was born - the Christopher Newport Ring and Ring Ceremony. Created in collaboration with students and alumni, the ring was designed to be timeless. More than a symbol, it is a reminder of the moments that defined us on campus and a declaration that no matter where life leads, once a Captain, always a Captain. It represents the charge shared by all Christopher Newport Captains: to live a life of significance.

Each year during Family Weekend, our community comes together—students, alumni, families, and friends—to witness juniors and seniors step forward and receive their official Christopher Newport Ring. They accept it before the very community that helped shape their character, sharpen their purpose, and prepare them to lead.

The Christopher Newport Ring is an invitation to belong, across generations. All Captains—from the Class of 1962 through the Class of 2028—are invited to claim this symbol and wear it with pride. As President Kelly reminds us, the ring on your finger is a promise that you are never alone—and a compass, guiding you toward the right path, wherever your journey takes you.

Ring Collection