Undeterred by gray skies and the threat of rain, the 1,162 exuberant members of the Class of 2015 gathered under tents on South Lawn to mark their Class Day. One-hundred and sixty-one alumni, representing 57 classes, joined the celebration for the 12th Alumni Parade of Classes, an annual event in which alumni and new graduates celebrate their shared Columbia connection as alumni follow the class and academic processions carrying their class banners.
Class of 2015 President Kareem Carryl CC’15 welcomed classmates and spoke about the importance of student activism on campus and his experience finding his niche at Columbia. Carryl also introduced keynote speaker Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti CC’92, SIPA’93. Garcetti’s speech, which focused on defying clichés, opened with a list of the top 15 commencement address archetypes before going into Garcetti’s own counterpoints.
Students laughed as the mayor jokingly advised them to give up and not work hard, while imploring them to follow him on Instagram. The speech kept the mood light, although Garcetti became serious while speaking about the importance of fighting for equality. He advised the students: “Be confused, embrace contradiction. Live comfortably on the borders between ideas and cultures and geography. Find reassurance in knowing what you don’t know, because as both an insider and an outsider, you have the unusual balance — an even miraculous combination — of access and conscience. I came to Columbia because it was a campus but it also had no gates; it was both complete unto itself and an integral and open part of a great city.”
After the announcement of class awards, academic awards and prizes, and the presentation of alumni awards and prizes, Senior Fund Chair Grace Kim CC’15 presented the Class Gift, noting that more than 500 seniors donated to the gift, raising more than $13,000 and securing a $100,000 participation gift from Charles Santoro CC’82 . Additionally, 231 seniors opted into Dean James J. Valentini’s “3-2-1 Challenge,” in which students are asked to donate for three years, to attend two alumni events and to have one friend join them in the challenge. The dean reminded the class that they missed their Convocation due to 2011’s Hurricane Irene but he counseled them, “Your true inheritance is the personal empowerment that a Columbia College degree provides.”
President Lee C. Bollinger also offered congratulatory remarks and salutatorian Stephanie Gergoudis CC’15 presented the closing speech quoting classmates on what Columbia means to them while praising the class’ diversity and passionate activism.
