CLASS OF 2004 CELEBRATES COMMENCEMENT

On Sunday, May 16, the largest class in Haverford College history—323 seniors strong—marched across campus to receive their diplomas from President Tritton in front of Roberts Hall.

Honorary degrees were awarded to world-renowned chimpanzee expert and wildlife conservationist Jane Goodall; New York Times columnist and Princeton economics and international affairs professor Paul Krugman; Temple University poet and professor Sonia Sanchez; and the award-winning artist James Turrell.

All honorary degree recipients offered words of congratulations and inspiration. Most notable were Krugman, who spoke of the Bush administration’s shortcomings regarding the war in Iraq and encouraged graduates to stand up for what they believed, no matter what opposition they faced; and Goodall, who reminded them that the power to change the world lies in their hands. “Hang on to what you have learned about your important role in this life,” she said. “Every day, you make a difference by the way you behave, by the way you speak, above all by your actions.” To the audience’s delight, she also provided an auditory example of how one of her chimpanzees would say “congratulations.”