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On Memorial Day morning, ominous clouds gave way to scattered sunshine
during Oberlin's 165th Commencement, just in time to warm the nearly
700 shivering graduates who were lining up for their march to the
future.
Wreaths of flowers encircled the heads of several smiling women who preferred to skip the traditional cap and gown to wear flowing dresses with bared feet in an abrupt throw-back to the '60s. Several young men, too, adopted the wreath as more appropriate headgear for the long-awaited event. Shiny soap bubbles floated lazily over the crowd of nearly 5,000, launched by a young graduate patiently waiting to walk the stage. 1998 Class President Joy Mariama Smith stressed that the real world was just ahead--paying one's own bills, setting up a home, no longer relying on family support. She revived shared memories of the past four years to much laughter, and concluded her remarks to thunderous applause.
Parents and family members sat with gaily wrapped gifts and bouquets
of roses, awaiting the final red-leather covered diploma to be
delivered to the last member of the class of 1998.
MC |
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