COMMENCEMENT

June 9, 1985

The College's 215 th Commencement exercises were held Sunday morning, June 9, before a throngof more than 8,000 family and friends of the Class of 1985 on the lawn. of Baker Library.

For a change, the weather seemed in a cooperative mood as the somewhat rainy, cloudy skies whichhad lingered during Senior Week gave way to temperate sunshine. The traditional Class Day exercisesincluded speeches by class president Elise Miller, Valerie Hartman, Adam Seessel ( 85s all),and Professor Ashley Bryan. Before the breaking of clay pipes over the stump of the Old Pine,awards were presented to a large number of seniors; among them, Jim Sapienza (the Barrett Cupfor all-around achievement), Elise Miller (the Class of 1936 Prize for the outstanding woman)Colleen Lanmore ithe Dean's Prize for the most significant contribution to the quality of student life),and Jim Kreitman (the Smith Award for distinctive contribution to the stature of the College),and also to Professor Bruce Pipes (for distinguished teaching).

Beverly Sills the first woman to serve as Commencement speaker, was both witty and up-beatin her well-received remarks (excerpted on page 41). And after the President's Valedictory (page 40)and the sinning of "Men of Dartmouth," Associate Chaplains Richard Hyde and Michael Paleydelivered a very loving interfaith Closing Prayer. The previous day, the Reverend Mr. Hyde had deliveredthe Baccalaureate Sermon in Rollins Chapel, "Isaiah's Dream, in which he quoted fromseveral texts, ending with the words of Robert F. Kennedy: Each time you stand up for an idea or act to improve the lot of others, or strike out against injustice, you send forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.

It was, in short, a memorable Commencement.

All photographs by.Nancy' Wasserman '77