News
Baccalaureate Ceremony & Honors Convocation 2008
5.9.2008
Members of the Class of 2008 received departmental honors, distinctions and special awards at Manhattanville College’s Baccalaureate Ceremony and Honors Convocation on Friday, May 9, 2008.
President Richard A. Berman welcomed the students and their families to the ceremony in the O’Byrne Chapel, which celebrates the academic achievements of graduating seniors. After commending the Manhattanville faculty for its dedication, devotion and compassion to students in and out of the classroom, Berman said this year’s graduating class is an extraordinary one. “We have educated you to be ethical and socially responsible leaders for the global world,” Berman told the graduates. “And I hope Manhattanville has led you to a real appreciation of how really great you are.”
Sister Joan Magnetti, headmistress of the Convent of the Sacred Heart and a recipient of an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Manhattanville at the college’s 2008 Commencement, was the Baccalaureate’s keynote speaker.
Sister Magnetti earned a Bachelor’s degree in government from Manhattanville College as a young woman before entering the Society of the Sacred Heart, an international religious order dedicated to the education of youth.
Reflecting on the philosopher Plato’s allegory of the cave, Sister Magnetti stressed the importance of seeking universal and eternal truths beyond the surface and shadows. “The work of a lifetime, and what I beg for you today is to make the huge sacrifice to find what’s really real,” said Sister Magnetti. “Don’t forget when you come to see the real, that you are obliged to set the prisoners of ignorance and fear free.”
The Baccalaureate ceremony is steeped in symbolism and tradition. In a longstanding ritual, two lines of underclassmen filed into the chapel carrying a laurel chain of dark green garland adorned with flowers. The graduating seniors walked through this path. As in ancient times for the Greeks and Romans, the laurel vines symbolize victory and superior achievement.
Academic achievement awards were presented by Dr. Imma De Stefanis, the academic dean and vice president for student affairs. Dr. Wendy McFarlane, a member of the college’s Board of Academic Standards, awarded portfolio honors.