COMMENCEMENT 2008
Please find below helpful general information about Sarah Lawrence’s 79th annual Commencement. If you have any questions or concerns, you are welcome to contact the Office of College Events at 914-395-2412 or collegeevents@sarahlawrence.edu

Commencement Ceremony: May 23, 2008
The Commencement Ceremony is held Friday, May 23. The ceremony takes place under a tent (rain or shine) on Westlands South Lawn. The ceremony begins at 10:00 a.m. and generally lasts 2 to 2 ½ hours and is followed by a light reception on the North Lawn.

Commencement Seating
Space at Commencement is very limited: we can accommodate four guests for each graduate, so each graduate will receive only four invitations. The invitations will include four tickets, which are required for admittance to the ceremony. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis and will begin at 7:30 am. Graduates will be notified when tickets are available for pick up in the Office of College Events. This is usually in late April. We strongly urge you to arrive early on the 23rd to secure seats.

Special seating is available for ticketed guests with disabilities but must be pre-registered for special seating prior to May 20th. Please contact the Office of College Events at (914) 395-2412 for more information.

Commencement Speaker
Acclaimed actress Jessica Lange is Sarah Lawrence's 79th commencement speaker. The mother of a graduating senior, Lange is a two-time Academy Award winner with more than 30 credits to her name. She took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in "Tootsie" and for Best Actress in "Blue Sky." Lange has taken diverse roles in movies such as "Frances," "Cape Fear" and "Big Fish" and has appeared on stage both on Broadway and in London. For more information on Jesscia Lange, read the full press release.

Parking
On Commencement Day, you may park in any Sarah Lawrence parking lot. College Security will direct you to parking areas when you arrive on the campus. Once all lots are full, there will be a designated overflow parking area at the Cross County Mall and shuttle service to/from SLC campus. Please note that parking on any side street or Kimball Avenue may result in a ticket from the City of Yonkers. We strongly suggest that you arrive as early as possible on the 23rd to secure a parking space or consider taking other transportation.

Photographs
Because we know how important this day is to you and your family, the College has arranged for a professional photographer to take a video of the entire ceremony as well as two pictures of every student. The first picture is taken as you receive your diploma from the President, and the second after you have exited the stage, diploma in hand. These pictures and the video will be available for purchase in a few weeks; an order form for the video and one for the still photographs will each be mailed to your home address. We hope that this will enable your family to sit comfortably in their seats with the reassurance that they will have a professionally produced photographic recording of this very special moment. For those parents and guests who feel they must take a photograph with their own camera, please be considerate of those around them and make note of our guidelines:

• We have set up a special roped-off photography section at the front of the tent for parents and other guests to take photos. They may enter this area to photograph you as you move toward the stage. To reach the section, they should exit at the side of the tent (do not walk up the center aisle) and proceed outside of the tent to the designated area and back.
• Parents and guests should not stand up in their row, as this will block the view of those seated behind them.
• Please do not block or stand in the aisles.

Commencement Week Activities/Dormitory Closings
Traditionally, Commencement Week is a wonderful opportunity for graduates to relax and spend time with their friends and faculty at events like the Senior-Don Dinner and the Senior Lecture. Please note that with the exception of Commencement itself, all events scheduled during this week are for students only. Seniors are welcome to remain in their dormitories during this week, but all students must vacate their rooms before 8:00PM on Friday, May 23rd. There can be no exceptions.

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