'Jump Around' will happen at UW-Madison graduation

UW-Madison went a different route with his plans for the Spring 2014 commencement ceremony. For the first time in nearly 25 years, graduation will be held May 27 at Camp Randall Stadium rather than inside the Kohl Center. The ceremony will also be condensed, as nearly 6,000 graduates and their 40,000 guests will all partake in the same event. Previously, commencement activities were spread over four different events.

Given the increased number of participants, graduates also won't be "walking" -- no names will be called, eliminating any sort of individual recognition. Per the Wisconsin State Journal, petitions had started to mount among the lines of "Dang, then at least give us around 'Jump Around!'" It appears their wishes have been granted.

Officials had planned to play the song at graduation for months but kept it quiet to make it a surprise, spokesman John Lucas said. An online petition started late Wednesday by Moroni, which gathered more than 1,000 signatures in its first 24 hours, propelled the matter and led to the announcement.

The decision to consolidate the ceremonies comes from Chancellor Rebecca Blank, who began last July and will oversee her first graduation UW. Student leaders, the State Journal says, convinced her to move the ceremony to Camp Randall Stadium so that the full senior class could be reunited for the first time since freshman convocation.

Jon Huntsman Jr., a former Utah governor, presidential candidate and U.S. ambassador to China and Singapore, will be the commencement speaker.