FEATURE

Photos by Eileen Barroso

Last year, rain threatened Class Day and cut Commencement short. This year, everyone had to break out sunglasses. On Tuesday, May 16, the 950 members of the Class of 2000 along with families and well-wishers gathered on South Field for Class Day. Dean Austin E. Quigley and Tony Award-winning actor Brian Dennehy ’60 spoke at the event. On Wednesday, President George Rupp presided over Columbia’s 246th Commencement, when approximately 30,000 guests watched 9,200 graduates from the University’s 17 schools receive degrees. Honorary degrees were awarded to former Treasury secretary Robert Rubin, AIDS researcher David Ho, President Martti Ahtisaari of Finland, cancer research director Paul Marks ’46, dancer Judith Jamison, and Columbia Law professor Oscar Schachter.

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