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ONEONTA, N.Y. -- Thousands of parents, family members, alumni, and
friends were on hand on Saturday, May 16, to honor the Class of 2009 at the
SUNY College at Oneonta's 120th Commencement. College President Nancy
Kleniewski awarded degrees to the 922 undergraduate and graduate students
who completed their requirements in May.
Honorary SUNY doctorates were presented to Major League Soccer
Commissioner Don Garber, who graduated from SUNY Oneonta in 1979, and
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Olen Butler. Both recipients addressed
the graduates as the Commencement speakers. President Kleniewski offered the
welcome and introduction of honored guests, and Patrick Brown, Chair of the
College Council, greeted the assembly.
President Kleniewski and Provost F. Daniel Larkin conferred the SUNY
Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching to Associate Professor Renee
Walker of the Department of Anthropology and Assistant Professor Brian
Beitzel of the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling. Betty
Winchester, secretary of the Communication Arts Department, received the
SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Classified Service.
Senior class President Sarah Cascone presented remarks, as did Student
Association President Dean McGowan. Karen Brown, President-elect of the
Alumni Association, greeted the College's newest alumni.
Music for the ceremonies was provided by the Catskill Brass under the
direction of Professor Carleton Clay. Selections included the premier
performance of "Recessional, Oneonta '09," an original piece composed by
Professor Clay and dedicated to Alexandra Kraus and her fellow graduates of
the Class of 2009. Vocalist Joshua Rothberg of the Class of 2009 led the
audience in singing the national anthem and the alma mater.
The SUNY College at Oneonta, which enrolls over 5,800 students, is a
liberal arts college with a pre-professional focus. Established as a state
normal school in 1889 and incorporated as a founding member of the state
university system in 1948, the College is well known for its outstanding
faculty, strong academic programs, educational technology, community service
and character-building activities, and scenic campus.
[Click here for a town-by-town listing of May
2009 graduates.]
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