School of Theatre and Dance associate professor Michael Pogue yelled “boom-chicka-boom,” followed by a thunderous echo of “boom-chicka-boom” from the graduating students, as Columbia opened its second and final commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 17.
Graduates from the Schools of Theatre and Dance, Audio and Music, Design, and Visual Arts crossed the stage at the Credit Union 1 Arena on the campus of the University of Illinois Chicago.
Ben Levy, a graduate from the School of Theatre and Dance, joked in his commencement address that students were “breaking up” with Columbia.
“You know, we want to travel, join the workforce, get jobs in our industries, explore our creative passions. And you want to stay here in Chicago and be a school.”
In his address, Levy said Columbia taught him that growth did not have to be painful.
“And that if it is painful, it can feel good all the same,” he said. “That being valued, noticed and loved doesn’t hold back growth, but allows you to feel comfortable failing over and over until you emerge not as a butterfly, but as that same old beautiful caterpillar.”
David Gerding, an associate professor in the School of Design, carried the ceremonial mace in the afternoon ceremony, which honored 20 retiring or laid off faculty members for their distinguished service by granting them emeriti status. Professor of theatre Brian Shaw, professor of instruction David Woolley and associate professor Frances Maggio were among the 11 recipients who were present.
In her second address of the day, Columbia President and CEO Shantay Bolton echoed this sentiment. She spoke about her experience learning house dance at Manifest on Saturday, May 16, and how it shaped her view of learning.
“You do not learn the rhythm by standing still. You do not find the beat by waiting for certainty. You step in. You listen. You respond. You make mistakes, you recover, but you keep moving. That is life. That is leadership and that is creative practice.”
Yolanda “Yo-Yo” Whitaker, a Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist and honorary degree recipient, who joyfully walked on stage shooting finger guns at the audience, spoke to her journey of growth that led her to the stage. She had always wanted to give a graduation speech but was never chosen — “life has a sense of humor,” she said.
“It taught me a lot about rejections, that rejection isn’t denial,” Whitaker said. “It’s a rehearsal. I was building my voice for moments like this and microphones aren’t just handed to you. They are earned.”
Graduates from the Schools of Theatre and Dance, Audio and Music, Design, and Visual Arts proceeded to cross the stage, about 1,200 students in total, along with that day’s first set of graduates.
“Change” was a word that was thrown out a lot to graduating seniors, with President Bolton in her opening address asking students who changed schools or majors to raise their hands and give each other a high five.
“Now that is power,” she said.
One of these students was School of Theatre and Dance graduate Calme Brown. Brown transferred from community college, switching from their major in food management to dance at Columbia. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they realized that “life is too short to not do what you want.”
Walking the stage on Sunday marked the end of eight years of school for Brown, who also studied technical directing. They found their passion at Columbia, Brown said.
“You might have plans, something you want to do, but your plans might change for the better,” they said.
School of Design graduate Yaretzi Morales also came to Columbia for another career field, cartooning and comics, but after taking associate professor Ivan Brunetti’s class on creating children’s books, she decided on a different path.
“I just love bringing a smile when I do art. And I feel like a lot of that is children’s books: Making children laugh, have fun and also learn at the same time. I just really love that.”
Morales has an internship at a book publisher set after college, where she will be making concepts and key art for books.
“I just think it’s super important to teach our generations different things, like not just reading, but also how to get in touch with your feelings, how to express things, how to help them get a grasp on the world around them.”
Some students feel uncertain about their future, like graduate from the School of Visual Arts Carson Graves, who jokingly said, “don’t do animation,” when prompted about his future.
“The job market isn’t the best, but it’ll work out. I’m stressed about it.”
However, Graves is thankful for the crew of animators he worked with over the last year, finding community in collaboration.
That was a sentiment shared by Warren Voss, a graduate from the School of Visual Arts, who transferred to Columbia in 2024. They said they quickly found a community of fellow animators whom they now consider friends.
“I was kind of a shut-in, especially throughout high school. I came from a graduating class of 100 kids, and being the art kid, I always kind of felt like an outcast. But here, amongst other artists, it’s just been a huge eye opener.”
Additional Reporting from Julia Martinez Arroyo
Copy edited by Venus Tapang
