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[email protected] PURCHASE COLLEGE 2017 COMMENCEMENT CELEBRATES THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF CULTURAL AND CIVIC LEADERS Purchase, NY, May 19, 2017: Purchase College-SUNY is holding its 45th annual commencement ceremony today, Friday, May 19, 2017, at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY. Degrees will be conferred upon nearly 1,100 graduating scholars and artists representing dozens of majors and several countries. The graduates will be joined by thousands of family members, friends, college faculty, and staff members who will come together to celebrate their achievements. The day will also feature the lively music of Purchase faculty member Joe Ferry and the Big Ska Band, creating a festive experience in keeping with the school’s unique culture. As a center for creative growth and academic excellence, Purchase marks the annual event by honoring dynamic leaders from various fields. This year’s SUNY honorary degree recipients include men and women who have made significant contributions to cultural and civic life in New York, including Former Mayor David N. Dinkins, Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic for The New York Times Holland Cotter, and cultural leader Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel. Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Regina Spektor (’01) will receive the President’s Award for Distinguished Alumni. While Spektor will attend the event, she will not be performing. Cody La Vada (’17), a multi-disciplinary artist, writer, and educator on transgender and LGBTQ issues, will offer remarks on behalf of the senior class. Purchase College President Thomas J. Schwarz said, “Though many look at graduation as an end, the word commencement itself refers to a beginning.