COMMENCEMENT 1989

California Institute of the Arts held its 19th annual graduation ceremony Friday in the Graduation Courtyard. Degrees were conferred on 219 students.

Steven D. Lavine, president of CalArts, delivered the commencement address. He said: “It has been a difficult year here at CalArts . . . difficult for the staff who must support a community full of improvisation, surprise and passionate conviction. Difficult for you who have to survive this pressure cooker and especially for me as a new president. . . . The world is not meant to have places like CalArts. You can tell from the fact there aren’t any others. Institutions like CalArts that set impossible goals must always struggle to survive.”

Honorary Degrees:

Paul Taylor, choreographer.

Luis Valdez, playwright.

Donn B. Tatum, CalArts trustee.

Compiled by Alma Cook, Times Researcher