Eckerd Students Walkout, Protest 2026 Commencement Location Change

ECOS President Emma Kelliher discusses Eckerd commencement relocation, and the subsequent protest on Tuesday. Eckerd’s administration informed students last week that the 2026 graduation ceremony will be held at the Bradenton Area Convention Center instead of under a tent on Kappa Field, where it’s been held for the past 20 years. Heat and cancellation due to inclement weather were the main reasons for the change discussed in the original email. Among students, frustrations arose due to the lack of student involvement in the decision and accessibility concerns. A petition was quickly made on change.org, which has amassed over 2,000 signatures in less than a week. Emma Kelliher, the Eckerd student body president and a senior, spoke with the administration about getting the ceremony moved back to Kappa. This week, students walked out of Imagining Justice classes to protest the change outside of the Upham Administration building, where the office of President James Annarelli is located. He invited students inside to discuss the situation, which lasted about 45 minutes. Kelliher was there among the crowd to engage with this discussion.