NASHVILLE, Tenn. – National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice spoke
to graduating seniors, rock band the B-52’s performed, parents attended
lectures and Chancellor Gordon Gee will deliver the commencement
address on Friday as part of Vanderbilt University’s expanded
celebration of graduation activities May 12-14.
A total of 3,006 students will be awarded 3,022 degrees, with 16
students getting dual diplomas. Undergraduates will receive 1,514 of
the degrees; graduate students will get 1,508. A total of 2,481
graduates are set to attend the ceremony, 1,436 undergraduates and
1,045 graduate students
Commencement ceremonies begin at 9 a.m. Friday, May 14, on Alumni Lawn.
Following Gee’s address, graduates from the graduate and
professional schools will recess at about 10:15 a.m. for separate
hooding and diploma-awarding ceremonies. Undergraduates will stay on
Alumni Lawn to receive their degrees.
Should the weather be inclement, the graduation will be moved from Alumni Lawn to Memorial Gymnasium.
The commencement ceremony will mark the completion of the 129th year
of classes at Vanderbilt and the 131st year of the founding of the
University. The top scholar in each of the University’s undergraduate
and professional schools will be awarded a Founder’s Medal. Faculty
members who are retiring will be honored with the title "emeritus" or
"emerita" in recognition of their service.
This year, an extra day of commencement activities, called Senior
Class Day, was added on Thursday, May 13. The highlight was an address
by Rice, who inaugurated a new annual tradition of bringing a prominent
Senior Class Day speaker to campus. An estimated 10,000 people turned
out to hear the speech.
"Don’t ever forget that just because you deserve something, it
doesn’t mean that you’ll necessarily get it," Rice counseled graduating
seniors. "And don’t ever assume that just because you got something, it
meant that you deserved it."
The rest of the day featured faculty-led seminars, receptions, award ceremonies and other activities.
Chancellor Gee started another new tradition this year by giving a
gift to each graduate. Students received the book Oh, the Places You’ll
Go! by Dr. Seuss.
On Wednesday evening, The Big Exuberant Commodore Graduation
Celebration, a dance party for graduates, parents, friends, alumni,
faculty and staff, was held on the Peabody College campus. The B-52’s
performed.
Rice’s speech is available on a link at www.vanderbilt.edu/news,
and the commencement ceremony will be webcast live. DVDs and videotape
copies of the ceremony will be available for purchase at www.vandygrads.com.
For updates and other Vanderbilt news, visit the Vanderbilt News Service Web page at www.vanderbilt.edu/news.
Media contact: Jim Patterson, (615) 322-NEWS
Jim.patterson@vanderbilt.edu