AUSTIN, TexasJubilant graduates tossed their caps into the air as they sang The Eyes of Texas with many of their classmates for the last time Saturday evening during spring commencement 2002 at The University of Texas at Austin.
About 32,000 people attended the ceremony on the South Mall of the Main Building in a event that featured Dr. Edwin Dorn, dean of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, as the keynote speaker. Dorn told the graduates that the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001 created fears about security that has led the United States to close itself off in many ways from the rest of the world. He said the temptation to do this must be resisted because closed societies do not thrive.
Dorn told the students that his charge to them is, “whenever the choice arises, choose to build bridges of faith, not walls of fear. This great nation must remain open to new people, new ideas. The UT Tower should not become a look-out post for a citadel; it should be a beacon for a knowledge gateway.”
President Larry R. Faulkner presided over the commencement ceremony that included ceremonial banners and maces, music, theatrical lighting and an elaborate display of fireworks from the Tower and Main Building.
There were 7,375 students eligible to receive their degrees this year. The number of students who completed all qualifications for graduation will be determined within a few weeks, according to the Office of the Registrar.
The crowd of graduates, relatives and friends filled the south and east plazas of the Main Building as well as the grassy areas and sidewalks of the south mall and several nearby auditoriums where televised viewing was provided.
For further information contact: Robert D. Meckel, Office of Public Affairs, (512) 471-3151.
|
||
| Photo: Marsha Miller | ||
|
Laura Turner, a graduate of the College of Communication in public relations, shows her appreciation for the support that helped her attain her degree. |
|
||
| Photo: Marsha Miller | ||
|
Former President George H.W. Bush delivered the keynote address for the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs convocation. From left to right is Senior Vice President William S. Livingston, President Larry R. Faulkner, Bush, and LBJ School Dean Edwin Dorn. |
|
||
| Photo: Marsha Miller | ||
|
Former President George H.W. Bush talks with LBJ School graduates (from left to right) Kathryn Suratt, Jema Turk, Carlos Guiterrez and Cassius Johnson before the LBJ School convocation. |
|
||
| Photo: Marsha Miller | ||
|
After delivering the keynote address, news anchor and journalist Dan Rather congratulated each of the more than 700 College of Communications graduates who attended the ceremony. Here he is pictured with Christina Unis, a graduate of the College of Communication in public relations. |
|
||
| Photo: Marsha Miller | ||
|
The fact that Amy Norman (left) is graduating from the Department of Geography hardly needs to be stated. Her friend Alicia Stamp, a graduate in English and architecture, helps to steady the globe during the sometimes windy conditions. |
