title="Return to Table of Contents">Oberlin Alumni Magazine
Summer 2013 Vol. 108 No. 3
Photographs by Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97
Interviews by Emily Crawford ’92
Jirair Alexander Youssefian
Why are you here?
I’m here ‘cause they [parents] want to see me walk. I did this last year already and I wore the whole cap and gown. They convinced me to wear the cap again, so...
Wait, so you already walked once?
Yeah, I did my undergrad here in violin performance and now I’m getting a master’s in music teaching.
What were you thinking as you got ready this morning?
That it was too early.
So what’s next?
I’m looking for jobs right now, teaching. I really enjoyed teaching high school [orchestral music] this past semester, so I’m hoping to get into that.
Jirair and Ellen Youssefian
Parents
Why are you here?
Ellen: For his graduation!
What were you thinking as you got ready this morning?
Ellen: We were hoping that it doesn’t rain. So many thoughts that we did the old yoga thing: center on the happiness of the occasion. That’s hard because of all the grief [for the students]: they have to move out, they have to do this, they have to do that, all that kind of stuff, but we have it a lot easier this year. So that was our main thought: just to celebrate the moment.
What are you doing after the ceremony?
Ellen: It’s a party! And then our kid’s coming home with us!
Zane Rodulfo
Jazz Performance [drums] and Ethnomusicology major
Why are you here?
‘Cause I’m graduating, yeah.
What were you thinking this morning before commencement?
How good it is to be finished with everything and, you know, looking forward to the next step, yeah.
What do you think the next step is?
I’m starting grad school at NYU in September.
What are you doing after the ceremony?
I’m just hanging with friends and family, finishing packing, and getting some drinks.
Hana Jiménez
Philosophy major
Why are you here?
To graduate, mostly.
Mostly?
I mean, I’m also gonna cry but, that’s in addition to graduating.
What did you do this morning before commencement? i’m sure your hair took a bit of time.
Yeah, this took a little bit of time. I wanted to make sure I didn’t get hair gel on the sides of my head, ’cause it looks really bad.
What does it look like?
It gets white and patchy and flaky. And I left my tie in my car so I had to go get that.
What’s next?
I’m probably going to take some certification classes and then I’m going to move to Pittsburgh, live near this one [points to friend] and with two other friends who are graduating this year.
What kind of certification are you getting?
I created a list of careers I wouldn’t mind having. You need certification classes to be a fireman, a personal trainer, or a piercer.
Carlyle Kash
Comparative American Studies major
Why are you here?
I’m graduating.
What did you do this morning before commencement?
I woke up, took a shower, and immediately started crying because I had to say goodbye to my best friend. I listened to that song by Third Eye Blind, “Can I Graduate?,” tried to get to that throwback nostalgia from high school, and I cried my eyes out. There wasn’t a lot of thought, just feelings.
What’s next?
I’m moving to Philadelphia and I’m working for Decarcerate Pennsylvania, a prison abolitionist organization working to end mass incarceration in the state of Pennsylvania.
Gary Kriesen
Campus Security Supervisor
Why are you here?
To make sure everything goes in a smooth and orderly fashion.
What were you thinking as you got ready this morning?
Do we get through it? After 36 years that is my entire goal: to get through it.
What’s next?
Three days off.
Crystal Biruk
Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Why are you here?
To celebrate the students that I met this year.
What were you thinking about as you got ready this morning?
Well, I thought it was kind of neat because I remember when I graduated from a small liberal-arts college and I remember one of my favorite things was seeing my faculty members on the walk in.
And now you’re the faculty.
Yes!
What’s next?
I’ll be back at Oberlin next year, but I’m going off to South Africa and Malawi to do some research.
And after the ceremony?
Probably going to pack up my house and then getting a drink.
Chelsea Martinez ’02
Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Why are you here?
I’m here to see and celebrate with my graduating students. More of them were seniors than I realized!
What did you do this morning before the ceremony?
I got up, put my gown on, made sure my house was still standing—I was an undergrad here, too, and it’s my reunion weekend. There are about a dozen people staying with me and it’s been a hectic couple of days!
What’s next?
After this I’m headed home to squeeze in a little bit more time with my old friends. This weekend, I head to Minneapolis, where I’m excited to work in a civil engineering lab with one of my students all summer.
Jason Hudson
Track coach
Why are you here?
This is my 11th commencement— I’ve got students graduating, alums coming back, I’m always here at commencement, watching the end. I was there at the beginning, and I’m gonna be here at the end.
What were you thinking about as you got ready this morning?
How this is really not goodbye but a “see you later.”
What are you doing after the ceremony?
Going home and spending some time with the family.
Inyang Udo-Inyang ’12
Class-elected trustee
Why are you here?
A lot of my best friends are graduating this year, and so I’m here to support them and enjoy the ceremony. And of course it’s an excuse to come back.
What were you thinking about as you got ready this morning?
I was nervous for some reason. I was telling Coach, “There’s butterflies.” I don’t know why. I’m not graduating, but I guess I was nervous for my friends and seeing all of them.
Were you nervous last year when you graduated?
I wasn’t, actually! I wasn’t that nervous. I feel more nervous now than I did last year.
What’s next?
Three years of medical school to complete at Dartmouth.
And after the ceremony?
So many barbecues and things going on, you know. Six people invited me so I’m going to try and be at multiple places at once.
Ava Keating ’14
Comp Lit And Premed Major
Why are you here?
I’m here to see my friends graduate and celebrate in this momentous day. I feel really joyful for all of them. I think that at Oberlin sometimes the tradition and ceremonial aspects of things like graduation are underplayed, but it’s so lovely to see everyone so excited on this day and to be a part of it. I’ve gone every year, ever since I was a freshman, even though I had fewer friends graduating then than I do now. It’s important to share in, I think.
Tracy Chevalier ’84
Author, The Last Runaway
Why are you here?
I am here to give the commencement speech.
What were you thinking as you got ready this morning?
I was thinking that I’m beyond nervous. I was really nervous two days ago and now I’m actually less so.
What’s next?
I have lunch with an old professor [Politics and East Asian Studies Professor Marc Blecher] and then I get on the plane to go back to London.
Tom Lopez '88
Associate Professor, Chair Computer Music and Digital Arts
Why are you here?
I am here because it's my job and because I love the ceremony.
What were you thinking about this morning?
I’m usually thinking about how I can stay cool during the ceremony but this morning I was worrying about how I would stay warm enough.
What’s next?
Planting the garden. I am going to go home and rototill the garden and plant some vegetables.
Helen Park
Flute Major
Why are you here?
I’m here to graduate.
What were you thinking about this morning?
About my family watching on line, and walking on the stage and, you know, my name being called.
Yuxin Ouyang
Composition/Music Major
Why are you here?
To attend commencement.
What were you thinking about this morning?
I feel like I finished my college study and I will move to a new step, and I’m so excited, and two of my friends have just come to attend my commencement.
What’s next?
I’m going to graduate school, to Rice University, to continue my composition studies.
What are you doing after the ceremony?
I will have lunch with my friend, probably at her house, and then we'll separate in the afternoon and get ready to go tomorrow!
Joyce Moon
Piano Major
Why are you here?
I’m here to graduate college.
What were you thinking about this morning?
I was thinking about my family back home.
Where's home?
California. Only my mom made it, so I was thinking about my family, and my friends, and, like, past memories.
What’s next?
I’m actually going to be here for another year and I’m going to go into piano accompaniment, so I’m going to work here as a student accompanist for a year and pay for grad school with my [need to decode: current teacher's...].
Birgit And Enz Liebl
Parents of Graduating Senior Kirsten Liebl, Physics Major
Why are you here?
Birgit: because we're proud of our daughter. E: to celebrate her graduation.
What were you thinking about this morning?
Birgit: Hopefully it won't rain and the weather will be nice.
Enz: That it's a nice ceremonial end to her time at Oberlin.
Sarah Sheard and Rufus, a Yorkie
Mother of Graduate Tim Mccarthy, History and Economics Major
Why are you here?
It’s a major milestone! You have to be there for your son's graduation.
What were you thinking about this morning?
I was thinking, 'I’m late.'
What’s next?
Well, he's going to probably go with his girlfriend, who's also an Oberlin grad, to Chicago where she has a job and try to find something there. Does anybody want a kid with an economics degree and a Chinese minor? Somebody’s got to want this.
And what are you doing after the ceremony?
Well, we met her family yesterday and had a fabulous time, and so I think we'll probably get together [again] and then I’m driving back to Pittsburgh.
Brenda Grier-Miller
Associate Dean, Department Of Student Academic Services And Dean Of The Class Of 2015
Why are you here?
Because I’m celebrating these students' accomplishments.
What were you thinking about this morning?
I’m so glad it's just a simple march today. I don’t have to do anything else but march, and celebrate. That’s all.
What’s next?
I’m going to go and have parties, all over the place! Parties! And celebrate with families, and smile and support kids and help them go off to their next place.
Baron Pineda
Associate Professor, Chair, Anthropology
Why are you here?
Because it's my duty as a faculty member to attend this and of course I’m happy to see my graduating seniors.
What were you thinking about this morning?
I was trying to make sure that I could find my robes. And making sure I had my coffee.
What’s next?
I am preparing to go back to New York. I do fieldwork at a UN conference and I have a couple students who are over there too, so I'll go reconnect with them, and the conference.
Alexa Sharp
Assistant Professor, Computer Science
Why are you here?
To watch our graduates graduate.
What were you thinking about this morning?
I’ve been here for six years and I've always worn the horns, so I was thinking that to keep up tradition I should glam it up a little [or again?]
What’s next?
I’m going to get some coffee. And then not work for a little while.
Cynthia Taylor
Assistant Professor, Computer Science
Why are you here?
To watch our graduates graduate.
What were you thinking about this morning?
I just finished my first year teaching here, so it's been very exciting, and any excuse to wear a tiny top hat is something that I will take.
What’s next?
Free coffee. And then I’m going to come back at the end [of the ceremony] and see all of my students.
A.G. Miller
Associate Professor, Department Chair, Religion
Why are you here?
I’m here to support the seniors who have graduated, both those that I know and those that I don't know.
What were you thinking about this morning?
Good question... you can edit this, right [laughs]? What was I thinking about? Well, I’m not sure but I can tell you what I’m thinking now: that this class has been an especially significant class given all that we've gone through this year, and particularly the spring, and the difficulties we've walked through and the ways in which these young people, these young leaders that were in this class, took lemons and made lemonade. They were able to really turn it into something that I think will help to propel our college far beyond that [bias] incident into the future with very positive goals and positive outcomes. So, they're great.
What’s next?
Going to a party.
Bonnie Cheng
Associate Professor, Art History And East Asian Studies
Why are you here?
To say goodbye to the seniors.
What were you thinking about this morning?
How excited I was to wear my tam.
What’s next?
I’m having bagels and coffee.
Gina Perez
Associate Professor Of Comparative American Studies
Why are you here?
I love rituals, I love commencement, and I just love these students, so I just wanted to be here to honor them today.
What were you thinking about this morning?
To breathe so I won't cry. To keep myself together and not cry like I did two years ago. I totally embarrassed myself. That's really what I was thinking.
What’s next?
I’m going to go home and hang out with my family, have a barbecue and enjoy the beautiful day.
Want to Respond?
Send us a letter-to-the-editor or leave a comment below. The comments section is to encourage lively discourse. Feel free to be spirited, but don't be abusive. The Oberlin Alumni Magazine reserves the right to delete posts it deems inappropriate.