University confers degrees at 261st commencement

President Tilghman conferred 1,125 bachelor's degrees and 743 graduate degrees at the University's 261st commencement, the final ceremony in a three-day series of graduation events.

About 7,000 spectators filled the bleachers and fold-out chairs that surrounded the cap-and-gown-clad graduates in front of Nassau Hall this morning.

After an invocation by Dean of Religious Life Alison Boden, salutatorian James Morrison '08 opened the ceremony with an address in Latin.

Deviating from his prepared remarks, Morrison began his speech with a reference to Stephen Colbert's Class Day remarks, in which Colbert said that "history has proven that there is no better way to sneak the word 'anus' into a commencement speech" than by delivering the salutatory address. Morrison took Colbert's words to heart, and though his extemporaneous remarks were intelligible to few, he definitely said "anus."

Provost Christopher Eisgruber ’83 next recognized the four recipients of a prize for distinguished secondary school teaching in New Jersey: Michelle DiGiovanni '93, Elsa Reis Matos, Justin Smith and Sara Solberg.

Dean of the College Nancy Malkiel asked the members of the graduating class to stand by department as Tilghman recited the Latin phrase, "auctoritate mihi a curatoribus Universitatis Princetoniensis commissa, vos ad gradum primum in artibus et cum honoribus, ut indicatum est, admitto," which means "by the authority vested in me by the Trustees of Princeton University, I admit you to the degree of bachelor of arts, with honors as indicated." A slightly altered phrase was used for the conferral of the engineering and graduate degrees.

Tilghman also conferred honorary degrees upon five individuals. Entertainment legend Quincy Jones received a Doctor of Music degree. Political theorist and former Princeton politics professor George Kateb received the Doctor of Humane Letters. Geneticist Mary-Claire King received a Doctor of Science degree. Author Haruki Murakami became a Doctor of Letters, and John Waterbury '61, the president of the American University of Beirut and a former Wilson School professor, was granted a Doctor of Laws degree.

Valedictorian Zachary Squire '08 then addressed the members of his class, discussing a poem by Archilochus and its relationship to a sculpture by Richard Serra near Fine Hall. Titled "The Hedgehog and the Fox," the sculpture alludes to a line by Archilochus: "The fox knows many tricks, the hedgehog one good one." Drawing a lesson from the poem and the sculpture, Squire advised his classmates that rather than only pursuing intelligence, they should also pursue "qualities like humility, generosity, good humor and loyalty to one's friends." Like life, the sculpture, which consists of tall, twisting sheets of iron, is best observed by walking through slowly rather than rushing to emerge on the other side, Squire said.

Near the end of the ceremony, Dean of the Faculty David Dobkin honored biology professor Bonnie Bassler, engineering professor Pablo Debenedetti, religion professor Marie Griffith and psychology professor Nicole Shelton for excellence in teaching.

Following a benediction by Associate Dean of Religious Life Paul Raushenbush, the Class of 2008 exited campus through FitzRandolph Gate and then processed onto Cannon Green, now officially alumni of Princeton University.

Graduating seniors received their diplomas in their residential colleges after the main ceremony was over, while graduate students were awarded their diplomas on Cannon Green.

Several graduates had kind words about Princeton and wistful advice for younger students.

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"As an incoming freshman, I didn't realize how great of a place [Princeton is]," said Jake Staser '08, who played tight end for the football team. Staser added that after four years at Princeton, the commencement ceremony was "kind of anticlimactic."

Jonathan Li '08 echoed Staser's description of the ceremony but added that he enjoyed Squire's speech. "Academics isn't what's going to make you remember Princeton," Li said. "It's your friends."