Commencement
by Alyssa Vine
class of 2011
Photographs by Dorothy Hong and Asiya Khaki ’09
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A Special may day When thunderstorms descended on the day of Barnard’s 2011 Commencement,
approximately 600 seniors filed into Columbia’s Francis S. Levien Gymnasium. Originally to be held at the General Grant National Memorial overlooking the Hudson River, the warm, dry indoor ceremony proved a welcome alternative for both graduates and audience. President Debora Spar presented the College’s highest honor, the Medal of Distinction, to keynote Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s COO; Sylvia Rhone, president of Universal Motown Records; Roberta Guaspari, music education advocate; and conceptual artist Jenny Holzer. For more photos and to watch video of Commencement 2011, go to barnard.edu/magazine. 4
Photos (from left): 1 President Spar with medalist Sheryl Sandberg and board chair Jolyne Caruso-FitzGerald ’81 2 SGA president Lara Avsar ’11 3 Trustees Joan Sherman Freilich ’63, Frances Sadler ’72, Diana Touliatou Vagelos ’55, and Dina De Luca Chartouni ’82 4 Class President Reni Calister ’11 5 Graduating seniors cross Broadway for the Levien Gym. 6 Applauding keynote Sheryl Sandberg 7 College Dean Avis Hinkson ’84, VP of College Relations Dorothy Urman Denburg ’71, and outgoing Provost Elizabeth Boylan 8 Medalists Guaspari, Holzer, Rhone, and Sandberg 9 Pre-Commencement at Barnard Hall