Connecticut College to celebrate 97th Commencement
The Connecticut College community will come together for the 97th Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 17, at 11 a.m.
More than 450 students from the Class of 2015, representing 14 countries, will cross the stage on Tempel Green to receive their diplomas from President Katherine Bergeron. During the ceremony, the graduates will follow long-held Connecticut College traditions, including passing through a laurel chain held by members of the junior class and carrying saplings that symbolize a continuing connection to the College.
Speakers at the event include Bergeron, senior class speaker Caroline Lazar, and Eric Schlosser, an award-winning journalist, producer and playwright who will deliver the keynote address. He is best known for his investigative reporting, which exposes issues ignored by mainstream media, from the fast food industry to the plight of migrant workers to the possibilities of nuclear disaster. His books include “Fast Food Nation,” “Reefer Madness” and “Command and Control.”
Schlosser will receive an honorary degree from the College during the ceremony, and two graduating students will receive prestigious College honors: the Oakes and Louise Ames Prize, for the year’s most outstanding honors study, and the Anna Lord Strauss Medal, for outstanding work in public or community service.
After degrees have been conferred, faculty will gather in one of four designated spots near Tempel Green to congratulate students and meet their families and guests:
• Arts – green side of Palmer, across from the information tent
• Humanities – in front of Blaustein
• Social Sciences – green side of Bill Hall
• Sciences – green side of New London Hall
The entire campus community is invited to a post-Commencement luncheon in Harris Refectory. (This is a temporary departure from the traditional luncheon on Shain Library green, which was recently re-sodded after renovations.)
Other celebrations — including Baccalaureate and interdisciplinary center certificate ceremonies — take place on Friday and Saturday before Commencement.
May 12, 2015