Fordham Commencement Hour by Hour

8 a.m. on Edward's Parade:

Before the sun is high, before the seats are dry, the early birds arrive . . .


Dean Robert Parmach and crew dry the seats.



Front-row seats are secured by John Sunofsky, right, whose daughter Alyssa, a theology major is graduating, and Neal Symonds, left, and fiancee Shelley Beavcage, here to see Symonds' son Mark graduate. The Sunofskys got here at 6:55 a.m. after flying in from Long Beach on Wednesday; Alyssa is their first child to graduate from college. Symonds arrived yesterday. "I've always wanted the front row," he said.

An early photo op . . .


Fordham staff began arriving before the sun rose.