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Rain shortens Carolina’s commencement

Posted on May 15, 2008 by Staff

A steady rain that began shortly before the 9:30 a.m. Sunday start of Carolina’s commencement celebration in Kenan Stadium shortened the ceremony.

Outgoing Chancellor James Moeser conferred the degrees of the undergraduates, who were led in the traditional turning of their mortarboard tassels by Senior Class President Ashley Shores, who gave remarks as planned.

Shortly before an enthusiastic student processional into the stadium, Moeser also conferred honorary degrees in the Kenan Stadium Football Center to Peter Agre, 2003 co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in chemistry; Philip Green III, professor of genome sciences at the University of Washington; Heather Munroe-Blum, principal and vice chancellor of McGill University; soprano Jessye Norman, one of America’s best known performing artists; and Tony Rand, a prominent attorney, alumnus and state senator.

Norman, the featured Commencement speaker, did not deliver her remarks as planned. Her speech is posted at http://uncnews.unc.edu/news/campus-and-community/jessye-norman-commencement-speech.html.

About 15,000 people attended the ceremony, which was cut to about 35 minutes. Typically, the event lasts up to two hours.

Commencement only moves inside to the Dean E. Smith Center for severe weather – heavy rain accompanied by high wind as well as thunder and lightning.

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