Justice Anthony Kennedy to give Commencement address
Spring 2009
Anthony M. Kennedy
Anthony Kennedy, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and a Stanford graduate, will be the 2009 Commencement speaker.
Stanford’s 118th Commencement Weekend, scheduled June 12-14, also will feature a Class Day lecture by Stanford neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky and a Baccalaureate address by Ruth Messinger, president of the American Jewish World Service.
The Baccalaureate ceremony will be held on the Main Quad, and the Senior Class Day lecture will be held in Maples Pavilion, both on Saturday, June 13. Commencement will be held in Stanford Stadium on Sunday, June 14.
Parents will receive a Commencement Weekend schedule. Visit the Commencement website for complete information and updates. Parents are encouraged to make travel and accommodation arrangements early. Because Commencement activities are widely dispersed, parents should plan early for disability accommodations needed by family members with limited mobility.
Commencement
Anthony Kennedy joined the Supreme Court in 1988 after being appointed by President Ronald Reagan. He was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 1975. From 1965 to 1988, he served as a professor of constitutional law at the McGeorge School of Law of the University of the Pacific in Sacramento. Kennedy was born in Sacramento, and earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Stanford after spending a year at the London School of Economics. He graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School.
Class Day
Robert Sapolsky
Robert Sapolsky, the John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Professor, will give this year’s Senior Class Day lecture. A neuroendocrinologist, he has focused his research on stress and neuron degeneration, as well as on the possibilities of gene therapy strategies for help in protecting susceptible neurons from disease.
In his well-known book Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: An Updated Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases and Coping, Sapolsky examines how prolonged stress can cause or contribute to physical and mental afflictions. His lab was among the first to document that stress can damage the neurons of the hippocampus.
Ruth W. Messinger
Baccalaureate
Ruth Messinger is president of the American Jewish World Service, an international development organization providing support to 350 grassroots social change projects worldwide.
Three questions and answers for parents about Commencement
Elaine Enos is executive director of Stanford Events, which oversees Commencement.
What advice do you have for parents coming to Commencement?
Make hotel reservations early. There are limited hotels in the area near the university. The Commencement website has links to information about hotels in the Bay Area.
Bring lightweight attire for the weekend’s events since the majority of them will be held outdoors. Be prepared for warm weather. Light clothing, hats, visors, sun block and drinking water are suggested. Water will be available at the ceremonies. Temperatures during the day can range from 75 degrees to the low 90s.
Also, we always tell people to bring comfortable shoes. Transportation within the campus grounds is not readily available, and the campus is large. Some venues have parking lots nearby. All venues can be accessed on foot, but please allow extra time to get to and from events.
How many people come to Commencement?
Generally around 30,000. There is plenty of room, however, in Stanford Stadium for everyone who wants to come. No tickets are required to attend the main ceremony.
How do you explain the Wacky Walk to families that have never experienced this Stanford tradition?
Instead of the processional march that one sees at university graduations, Stanford seniors take to the field through the “Wacky Walk.” It includes some walking, some running and some parading around. Students create their own events and characters on the field for about 15 minutes. The antics, often creative and funny, have become part of the Commencement tradition.
