Class of 2008 Celebrates NYU’s 176th Commencement Ceremony Today
The scenery may bring to mind “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” but graduates will hear the traditional “Pomp and Circumstance” march today as the University celebrates its 176th Commencement ceremony. The nearly 15,000 members of the Class of 2008 join an alumni community of more than 360,000 worldwide.
While Washington Square Park—home to Commencement from 1976-2007—undergoes a much-needed renovation, the world-renowned Yankee Stadium plays host today to graduates, family, and friends. Known as “The House that Ruth Built” since it opened in 1923, the stadium is considered by many to be an American sporting shrine. Numerous boxing matches, football games, rock concerts, and other public events have been staged there, including a recent mass with Pope Benedict XVI. This gathering is one of the last major non-baseball events to be held at the historic stadium—where the Yankees have won all 26 of their World Series titles—before it is torn down and play begins at a new, adjacent facility in 2009.
To honor the spirit of the day, all graduates, along with the first 10,000 guests in attendance, will receive a baseball cap. This summer, all graduates will also be sent a free 90-minute DVD of today’s ceremony.
President John Sexton and Board of Trustees Chairman Martin Lipton will preside over the ceremony, which begins at 10:30 a.m.
This year’s recipients of honorary doctorates are Thomas Buergenthal (LAW ’60), a judge on the International Court of Justice, who will receive a Doctor of Laws degree, honoris causa; Michael J. Fox, renowned actor, who will receive a Doctor of Fine Arts degree, honoris causa; Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi, chairwoman and CEO of PepsiCo, Inc.; who will receive a Doctor of Commercial Science degree, honoris causa; Ngugi wa Thiong’o, author and Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the Universtiy of California, Irvine, who will receive a Doctor of Letters degree, honoris causa; and Laurence Henry Tribe, the Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard Law School, who will receive a Doctor of Laws degree, honoris causa.
Michael Strahan, defensive end for the Super Bowl XLII champion New York Giants, will receive NYU’s 2008 Lewis Rudin Award for Exemplary Service to New York City. The 2008 Albert Gallatin Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Society was awarded last night to Constance Silver (B.S. ’78, M.S.W. ’79).
There will be two student speakers at today’s ceremony. Representing graduate students is Mel Ochoa (M.B.A. ’08) from the Stern School of Business. The student speaker representing undergraduates is Robert James Sukrachand (B.F.A. ’08) of the Tisch School of the Arts. Nominees for the student speakers were Denise L. Martinez, College of Arts and Science, Brian Levine, School of Medicine, Sara Keenan, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, Divyan Mistry, Stern School of Business (undergraduate), Santhosh Ramdoss, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, and Nicholas B. Berger, Gallatin School of Individualized Study. Four out of the five finalists are scholars in NYU’s Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation Program in Social Entrepreneurship.
In keeping with NYU tradition, today’s Commencement proceedings include “The Ceremony of the Torch.” The University torch — designed and fashioned by Tiffany and Company in sterling silver and donated to NYU in 1911 — is once again passed from a senior member of the faculty to the youngest undergraduate degree recipient.
The torch is passed today from Helene M. Anderson, professor of Spanish and Portuguese, to Hasan J. Altaf, Gallatin School of Individualized Study.
