Terrier Volume 75, Number 1 - Spring 2011 | Page 4

St. Francis College Celebrates
Spring Commencement
CBS 2 Anchor Maurice DuBois Delivers Commencement Address
The balconies of the Howard Gilman Opera House were bursting with pride at the Brooklyn Academy
of Music (BAM) as more than 350 members of the St. Francis College Class of 2011 celebrated their
graduation May 18.
CBS 2 news anchor Maurice DuBois
“I’m not sure all of you graduates fully
delivered a motivating commencement
appreciated the reputation of this gem
speech detailing some of his career highs
of a school,” said Mr. Feinberg. “It goes
and lows. He said that among all the stories
way beyond this borough. It goes down
he’s covered over the years, one of the most
to Washington and around the country.
powerful was following Wesley Autry, the
And for me now to be given this honorary
man who jumped onto the subway tracks to
degree from this great school, this gem,
save a person having a seizure. DuBois said
means a tremendous amount to me.”
that while we all cannot and should not jump
Because of a series of hazardous winter
onto the tracks, “all he did was help a person
storms in January, St. Francis was forced
in need and
to cancel Winter Commencement and
Maurice DuBois and Chairman,
we can all
invite those graduates to the spring
Board of Trustees John F. Tully, Esq. ’67
do that.”
ceremony. That meant two valedictorians
DuBois offered four basic
took the stage; winter valedictorian Robert de Gannes ’11, a Communication Arts major with a
principles for the graduates to follow,
concentration in Advertising
things he has learned through
and spring valedictorian,
personal experience; “thinking
Chandra Persaud ’11, also a
before you talk; setting an example for your family; always having a
Communications Arts major
Plan B and serving your community. I’m here to tell you it all works.”
with a concentration in
St. Francis awarded Mr. DuBois an Honorary Doctor of Humane
Advertising and a minor
Letters as well as a Doctor of Laws to Kenneth R. Feinberg, former
in Sociology.
Special Master of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. Mr. Feinberg
Gina Giles ’11
proudly accepted his degree.

Kenneth R. Feinberg Meets With Prominent Legal Alumni
Former Special Master to the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, Kenneth R. Feinberg came to St. Francis the day before commencement to speak
with prominent legal alumni at a luncheon hosted by Joseph Philip Forte ’69. Mr. Feinberg is currently Administrator for the Gulf Coast Claims
Facility in response to the Deepwater Horizon drilling disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. He said the legal system generally does a good job compensating
victims for common accidents. A victim compensation fund, however, should only be used for what he calls “unique incidents” such as 9/11 and the
drilling accident. Feinberg also stressed the importance of having a thick skin to deal with steady criticism, the outpouring of emotion from victims
and their families as well as the hurt from those who were not eligible for compensation.
Far Left: Dr. Yassin El-Ayouty,
Kenneth R. Feinberg, President
Brendan J. Dugan ’68 and
Joseph Philip Forte ’69
Near Left: St. Francis College
valedictorian Class of 2003
Boriana Petkova’03 with
Kenneth R. Feinberg

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