We can't wait to welcome our 2023 graduands back to campus this month for convocation ceremonies! If you're planning on taking a stroll down memory lane before or after your Convocation ceremony, whether on the Keele campus or at Glendon, here are a few outdoor locations that would make great photo backdrops.

Outside of Sobeys Stadium with the convocation banners

A classic. Don’t miss this chance to snap a few photos with friends and family in your full convocation regalia in front of some of the York U convocation flags and banners!

Stong Pond

Is nature more your vibe? Swing on over to Stong Pond and pose with the willow tree. If you’re lucky you may even be able to spot some of our resident geese in the background! The pond, located right behind Stong College, is only a short walk from Sobeys Stadium and is one of the most relaxing places on campus.

Or check out the garden tucked in beside the Health, Nursing & Environmental Studies building off of Library Ln.

Bergeron Centre For Engineering Excellence

Looking for a flashier background? The Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence makes for a stunning backdrop with its incredible architectural design and floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

Second Student Centre and Roy McMurtry Green

Head over to Second Student Centre and Roy McMurtry Green for another flashy backdrop. With a really dedicated photographer, you might even be able to fit in the York U sign down by Pond Rd. This is also the perfect place to pop across the street to grab a snack or a drink at the Quad.

Campus Walk

Are cobblestones and ivy-covered buildings your vibe? Head over to Campus Walk and snap some shots with the leafy backdrop between the greenhouse and Stedman Lecture Halls, on the east side of Ross building or the foliage between Lassonde and Farquharson Life Sciences buildings.

You can find ivy on walls across campus including on Ignat Kaneff building (Osgoode Hall Law School) and on the south side of Scott Religious Centre.

Vari Hall and Harry Arthur Commons

The photo possibilities are endless! Snap some photos in front of the iconic Vari Hall building, on the steps by the Commons, by the willow trees, near the arches or on the grass!

The Gates

Want a photo with a York U sign? You can find them at all of the entrances to Keele campus including the intersections at: Keele St. and York Blvd., Keele St. and Pond Rd., Keele St. and Chimney Stack Rd., Steeles Ave. and Founders Rd., Steeles Ave. and Northwest Gate, Shoreham Drive and Murray Ross Pkwy., and where Sentinel Rd. meets Assiniboine Rd.

The art installations across campus

Are you an art lover? One of the many outdoor art installations across campus would be the perfect backdrop for your grad photos. Click here for a list of all the sculptures and outdoor art installations on the Keele Campus.

Last but not least, the building you spent the most time in

Whether it’s a faculty building, a residence, a library, the Athletics Centre or York Lanes, snap a photo here to save it for the memories.

What would you add to the list? Let us know! Email us at alumni@yorku.ca with your ideas.

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