75786 CC Com_• 20-page2012.qx 5/18/12 8:45 AM Page 1 COLORADO COLLEGE t n e CLAS SOF2012 m e c n e m Monday, May 21, 2012 8:30 a.m. m Colorado Springs, Colorado o C 75786 CC Com_• 20-page2012.qx 5/18/12 8:45 AM Page 2 COLORADO COLLEGE ALMA MATER (O Colorado College Fair) Words and music written in 1953 by Charles Hawley ’54 and Professors Earl Juhas and Albert Seay Song Leaders: Andrew Rowe ’12 , The Back Row Margaret “Hildy” Schott ’12 , Ellement Nicole Santilli ’12 , Room 46 O Colorado College fair, O Colorado College fair, We sing our praise to you; Long may your fame be known; Eternal as the Rockies, May fortune smile upon you, that form our western view; and honor be your own; Your loyal sons and daughters Our Alma Mater always, will always grateful be; Your loyal children we; The college dear to all our hearts Together let us face the future, is our C.C. Hail C.C. AMERICA, THE BEAUTIFUL (O Beautiful for Spacious Skies) Music written by Samuel A. Ward (1847–1903) Words written by Katherine Lee Bates (1859–1929) (Selected Verses) In 1893, Katherine Lee Bates was a visiting professor of English literature in Colorado College’s summer session. Bates and a group of faculty members went by prairie wagon and mules to the summit of Pikes Peak. There, inspired by the magnificent panorama, the poet conceived the initial verses of “America the Beautiful.” It was published in 1895 to national acclaim. Song Leaders: Andrew Rowe ’12 , The Back Row Margaret “Hildy” Schott ’12 , Ellement Nicole Santilli ’12 , Room 46 O beautiful for spacious skies, O beautiful for pilgrim feet For amber waves of grain, Whose stern impassioned stress For purple mountain majesties A thoroughfare for freedom beat Above the fruited plain. Across the wilderness. America! America! America! America! God shed His grace on thee, God mend thine every flaw, And crown thy good with brotherhood Confirm thy soul in self-control, From sea to shining sea. Thy liberty in law. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Restrooms are located in Armstrong hall to the south of the stage. You will find them downstairs and up on the second floor. Follow the signs. An elevator is located on the southeast side of the building, follow the signs. Shuttles are available from the commencement area to the reception area across Cascade Avenue. Golf carts will stop at the “Shuttle Stop” signs for anyone needing assistance. There is a first aid station located under the tent to the north of the stage. Guests who are deaf or hard of hearing may sit in the reserved front seats to the north of the stage where we will have sign language interpreters. Seats are marked. Assistive listening devices are available, please ask an usher. A professional photographer will be taking photos of each graduate, however, there is a parent photography area roped off to the southeast corner of the stage for parents to get close. Graduates need to return their cap and gown to the Colorado College Bookstore . 75786 CC Com_• 20-page2012.qx 5/18/12 8:45 AM Page 3 THE COLORADO COLLEGE • 130th ANNUAL COMMENCEMENT • MAY 21, 2012, 8:30 A.M. PROGRAM Presiding: Jill M. Tiefenthaler , President of Colorado College *PROCESSIONAL Entrada . G. F. Handel (1685–1759) Voluntary on Old 100th . Henry Purcell (c. 1659–1695) Fanfare and Chorus . Dietrich Buxtehude (1637–1707) Trumpet Voluntary . Henry Purcell Brass Ensemble Jeremy Van Hoy , Colorado College Concert Band Director, Conductor *INVOCATION Bruce R. Coriell , Chaplain *COLORADO COLLEGE ALMA MATER “O Colorado College Fair” . Words and Music by Charles Hawley ’54 and Professors Earl Juhas and Albert Seay WELCOME Jill M. Tiefenthaler , President of Colorado College and Suzanne Woolsey P’97 , ’98 , ’99 , Chairman of the Board of Trustees COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS “Obituary” Abigail Washburn ’99 , Singer and Songwriter CONFERRING OF HONORARY DEGREES Abigail Washburn ’99 , Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa Presented by Nilanjiana (Nila) Bhattacharjya , Assistant Professor of Music; conferred by Jill M. Tiefenthaler Joseph Garcia , Doctor of Laws, honoris causa Presented by Eric Popkin , Associate Professor of Sociology and Dean of Summer Programs; conferred by Jill M. Tiefenthaler Johnny Smith , Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa Presented by Paul Myrow , Professor of Geology; conferred by Jill M. Tiefenthaler SENIOR ADDRESS “Understanding what Ithacas Mean” Daniel Marion ’12 , Senior Class Speaker CONFERRING OF DEGREES IN COURSE Conferred by Jill M. Tiefenthaler Names read by Susan Ashley, Dean of the College and Dean of the Faculty *AMERICA, THE BEAUTIFUL (Selected Stanzas) O Beautiful for Spacious Skies (1893) . Samuel A. Ward (1847–1903) Words by Katharine Lee Bates (1859–1929) *BENEDICTION Bruce R. Coriell , Chaplain *RECESSIONAL March of the Earl of Oxford . William Byrd (1543–1623) Canzon Septimi Toni No. 2 . Giovanni Gabrieli (1557–1612) Music for King Charles II . Matthew Locke (1630–1677) Brass Ensemble Jeremy Van Hoy , Conductor Degree recipients and guests are requested to remain in their places until the conclusion of the ceremony. Immediately following the ceremony, degree recipients and guests are invited to the President’s Reception in the Cutler quadrangle. *THE PEOPLE STANDING 75786 CC Com_• 20-page2012.qx 5/18/12 8:45 AM Page 4 ABIGAIL WASHBURN ’99 USICIAN ABIGAIL WASHBURN garners widespread admiration and the respect of audiences throughout the Mworld for her artistry, originality, and capacity to define new musical worlds. She connects American old-time music to chamber music, indie-rock, electronica, and Chinese folk songs with a disregard for convention that exemplifies the adventurous spirit of CC graduates. Graduating cum laude with honors in Asian studies from Colorado College in 1999, Washburn is the second person to have ever majored in Asian studies at Colorado College, where she focused on Chinese language and culture. As a 2012 TED Fellow, Washburn has inspired countless listeners in describing the many detours she undertook from her initial post-graduation plan to study law in Beijing and improve America-China relations: her rediscovery of Doc Watson and the joy of singing old songs; an accidental encounter with a record company executive at a bluegrass convention; and her career today as a “singing, songwriting, Illinois-born, Nashville-based clawhammer banjo player.” Washburn’s music and its stories forge emotional connections across cultures, and as she herself notes, she has most likely contributed more to America-China relations as a musician and cultural ambassador than she would have as a lawyer. Each of Washburn’s musical endeavors has broken new ground, starting with the all-women old-time string band, Uncle Earl. Her first solo release, “Song of the Traveling Daughter” (2005), featured two songs performed entirely in Mandarin, and her second album with the Sparrow Quartet (2008) interlaced virtuosic banjo-picking from the Appalachians alongside elegant string arrangements in an assortment of original works and traditional Chinese folk songs. The album was inspired by the Quartet’s official invitation from Tibet to tour the region — making them the first American band to do so. They were also invited to perform at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. While Washburn was teaching American music at Sichuan University in 2008, an earthquake in Sichuan province killed more than 88,000 and displaced more than five million people. With musician Dave Liang of the Shanghai Restoration Project, she returned there the next spring to record a benefit album, “Afterquake,” whose acoustic and electronic music incorporates the voices of relocated and orphaned children from the area. Washburn performed at the Shanghai Expo in 2010, released another critically acclaimed solo album in 2011, and last winter was sponsored by the American Embassy, Beijing, in a tour of the Silk Road, where she collaborated with local traditional musicians across China’s “Wild West.” Unlike other musicians who broadcast superficial one-time engagements with outside cultures as proof of their global citizenship, Washburn has plumbed the depths of the American old-time tradition while maintaining her connection to China — a connection grounded in the rigorous study of its language and a sustained emotional investment in its people. That union of her intellect, determination, and compassion has engendered her innovative re-imaginings of old-time music while also serving to manifest the ideal outcome of a liberal arts education. Her ceaseless efforts to bring different cultures into a global conversation embody a profound sense of ethical responsibility that is commonly envisioned but only rarely realized. — NILANJANA BHATTACHARJYA , assistant professor of music 75786 CC Com_• 20-page2012.qx 5/18/12 8:45 AM Page 5 JOSEPH GARCIA IEUTENANT GOVERNOR JOSEPH GARCIA brings extraordinary passion for education and public service to our state L capitol. Born to a military family with deep roots in Northern New Mexico, Joe grew up in cities throughout the Western United States and Western Europe before earning a business degree from the University of Colorado and juris doctorate from Harvard law School. Before being elected lieutenant governor of Colorado, Joe held a number of high-profile positions. As executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies under former Governor Roy Romer, Joe managed and maintained budgetary responsibility for agencies such as the Divisions of Banking, Financial Services, Real Estate, Insurance, Civil Rights, Securities, and the Public Utilities Commission. His impressive work in the Romer administration ultimately led to his White House appointment as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development representative for the Rocky Mountain States. As president of the second-largest community college in Colorado, Pikes Peak Community College, Joe maintained oversight of three campuses that serve more than 16,000 students annually.