By Blaine P. Friedlander Jr.
Every year, commencement ceremonies present a colorful spectacle and, amid the crowds, personal moments, too. Here are a few from this year:
The secret codes between graduating seniors and their proud families don't have to be complicated. Jason Schwartz, who graduated with a bachelor's degree from the College of Arts and Sciences, placed a big "6" on his mortarboard so his family could spot him in the sea of graduates in Schoellkopf Field. Appropriately, his family held a "6" poster so Jason would have no problem finding them.
But why a "6"? It turns out Jason interned last summer at WPVI-TV, channel 6, an ABC affiliate in Philadelphia. His brother Randy, of Nepal and Cherry Hill, N.J., had no shortage of quips while waiting for the ceremony to begin: "We wanted to put two more 6s on (Jason's) mortarboard, but figured people would get scared," Randy said.
Jason will begin working toward a master's degree at the Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill., this fall.
Lining up on the Arts Quad for the procession march into Schoellkopf Field, Diana Wong showed her Hawaiian pride. The civil engineering graduate was co-president of the Cornell Hawaii Club, which shares the culture and traditions of the islands with the Cornell community. Her cap and gown were decorated with ornamental and colorful leis, with flowers including pua keni keni, pakalana, plumeria, orchid, mai le and topped off by a haku headband.
Catherine S. Montet, who earned her master's degree in international nutrition, and will begin work toward a doctorate in August, was escorted to the Schoellkopf ceremony by two Masai warriors in full traditional garb. Montet, who also wore traditional clothing, was accompanied by Mpeti Ole Surum and Ole Kamuaro, her uncle.
Ole Surum patiently explained to onlookers the markings on his body and the relevance of the warrior gear: "This means I have killed two lions," he said, pointing to marks on his arm.
Ole Surum spends half of the year in Kenya and half in Massachusetts, giving cultural lectures to elementary and middle school children. He sees a big difference between American culture and that of his homeland, he said. Here, there is a loss of respect for elders, while in Kenya, elders command the most respect. "It does take a village." he said.
At Senior Convocation on Saturday in Bailey Hall, senior class officers Esther H. Kang and Bill Mack presented the university with a check for $45,708, which comprised donations from 1,017 seniors. It represented the largest number of seniors ever to contribute to a class gift.
Among the estimated crowd of 32,000 at commencement, there was one brand new veterinarian whose name most people in attendance kept their eyes on. Immediately after President Rawlings conferred the College of Veterinary Medicine degrees, a small plane began circling the stadium, towing a banner with the message "Carole Werkhoven, DVM, you did it."