CU graduates outfit themselves for the ceremony and future

By Blaine P. Friedlander Jr.

When graduating Cornell students began lining up on the Arts Quad for the procession to Schoellkopf Field early Sunday morning, threatening clouds cleared and the air temperature rose from the 50s into the low 60s.

Cellular phones rang constantly, students adjusted their mortarboards, and friends talked, hugged and said good-bye to each other, many for the last time on campus.

Engineering graduate Wendy Takeguchi is one of many students at Commencement sporting traditional Hawaiian leis. Robert Barker/University Photography

Farryn Slaton, an undergraduate from Indianapolis who majored in anthropology and Spanish, said she still hadn't felt the day's impact. "It's hasn't hit yet; right now graduation is so surreal," she explained.

Veterinary students lined up to obtain large-animal examination gloves. Traditionally, the vet students blow up the long, plastic gloves, like balloons and wave them wildly when their degrees are conferred during the Commencement ceremony.

It was easy to find Christin Biernat, of Canandaigua, N.Y. This master's degree candidate in industrial and labor relations put a SpongeBob SquarePants balloon atop her mortarboard. She actually bought all of the SpongeBob SquarePants balloons from Wegman's supermarket, but wore just one, so she would stand out and make it easier for her family to spot her in the sea of graduates. She said she enjoys watching "SpongeBob SquarePants," a popular cartoon on the children's network, Nickleodeon, because "watching normal television is depressing."

At least SpongeBob had pants. On the Arts Quad, there was one naked guy too many: At about 10 a.m., three male streakers raced through the eastern side of the quad, from the Uris Library area, and then sped toward to the Two Naked Guys Café at the Johnson Museum. But that didn't stop the parade.

Also lining up for the procession was Ryan Duckett, who earned a degree in philosophy and linguistics. He will be moving to Los Angeles, where he has a job at E!, the cable entertainment network. There he will help to produce the "Anna Nicole Show," a popular reality TV program that focuses on the daily life of the garish and unpredictable "celebrity" Anna Nicole Smith.

Planning to make the world a sweeter place, Jeff Malchoff, from Buffalo, N.Y., greeted old friends on the Arts Quad for the last time as a student. He graduated with a degree in applied economics and management, and he will work in the sales department at Nestlé.

Several students in the procession wore fresh purple and white orchid leis, which were gifts from Katie Tom, whose hometown is Honolulu. Her parents brought the leis on their flight from Hawaii, and she gave them to her friends, who included Pete Mack, Aline Speeckaert and John Lanni. Tom, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in anthropology, will begin working in San Francisco this summer.

If you're looking for llamas in all the right places, Keith Torres (who graduated with a bachelor's degree from the School of Hotel Administration) will run a petting zoo this summer on Coney Island, until the right restaurant position becomes available. "We have donkeys and mules and porpoises," he said with a smile, while walking toward Schoellkopf Field. "Naw -- just kidding about the porpoises."

Torres walked with childhood chum Brandon Barton, a 6-foot-5 forward on the Cornell men's varsity basketball team, who also graduated with an undergraduate degree from the Hotel School. Barton will work at a restaurant in Rockefeller Center in New York City. Torres said, "While Brandon is working at Rockefeller Center, I'll be cleaning up donkey poop."