Commencement Speaker May 2009

  KRISTIN DAVIS

  In the most recent Sex and the City: The Movie, 

  Kristin Davis portrays the ever-hopeful Charlotte

  York Goldenblatt, who has found happiness on

  the Upper East Side with Harry, her unlikely

  prince of a husband, and their beautiful adopted

  daughter Lily. Recently announced, there will be

  a second Sex and the City installment in the

  works which will be released in theaters next

  May 2009.

 Through a variety of roles in television, film and

 on stage, Kristin Davis has proven herself a

 talented and versatile actress. 

Her role as Charlotte York for six seasons on HBO’s Sex and the City earned Davis nominations for an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.  The show also starred Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kim Cattrall, all four women winning the Screen Actors Guild Ensemble Award not once but twice.  Sex and the City also won an Emmy and numerous Golden Globe Awards throughout its six seasons. 

In 2006, Davis starred opposite Matthew Broderick, Danny DeVito and Kristin Chenoweth in the Fox holiday comedy Deck the Halls, directed by John Whitesell.  She also starred with Tim Allen, Danny Glover and Robert  Downey Jr. in the feature film update of Disney’s The Shaggy Dog, directed by Brian Robbins.  In 2005, she appeared with David Arquette in Robert Rodriguez’s children’s adventure feature, The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3-D.

In addition to film and television, Davis continues to work in the theatre. In May 2006, she made her London theatre debut, reprising her role as ‘Sunny Jacobs’ in The Exonerated.  Davis initially joined the rotating cast of actors recounting true stories of wrongly accused and convicted death-row inmates in the critically acclaimed off-Broadway production in 2003.  In 2002, Davis appeared on stage in Brave New World, a collection of poignant original works that commemorated the September 11th attacks.  In Land of the Dead, written and directed by Neil LaBute, Davis starred opposite Paul Rudd as a woman who must deal with losing two loved ones on the tragic day.

Prior to Sex and the City, Davis made an impact on the television scene when she joined the pop culture phenomenon, Melrose Place, and brought life to the devious Brooke Armstrong.  Her additional television credits include the Turner Network Television (TNT) original film, The Winning Season, starring as the fiancée of real-life baseball legend Honus Wagner, as well as guest-starring roles on Will & Grace, Seinfeld, Friends, ER, and The Larry Sanders Show.

Born in Boulder, Colorado, Davis moved to Columbia, South Carolina when her father, a Professor of psychology, transferred to the university there.  She later attended Rutgers University to complete her BFA in their classical theatre training program and upon graduation moved to New York where she began working in classical and contemporary theatre, as well as commercials.

Davis divides her time between New York and Los Angeles.

Photo by Andrew Macpherson

Student Information

If you anticipate graduating in October 2009 or January 2010, you must submit a diploma application.  The diploma application is available online at this address. 

Undergraduates may apply using a diploma application. For October graduation, the deadline is September 1 and the January graduation deadline is November 30.  Graduate students must submit the diploma application by March 15 or the degree will not be officially conferred until the next degree date.

Any undergraduate student interested in representing Mason Gross at University Commencement on Wednesday May 20th, 2009 at 1:30 p.m. on Voorhees Mall please contact Kayleigh Cesare, kcesare@masongross.rutgers.edu. University Commencement is a university-wide ceremony at which the president of the university formally confers all undergraduate and graduate degrees awarded throughout the past academic year. For more information regarding University Commencement please visit http://commencement.rutgers.edu/univcomm.shtml.

What if I still need one or two classes to graduate?

Students who do not complete all degree requirements by the end of the Spring 2009 semester will not be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony.   If you have taken courses outside of Rutgers, make sure that you have had all official transcripts forwarded to the Office of the Dean.  If you have any questions regarding your status, please contact the Office of the Dean at 732-932-9360, x503. 

How many guests can I invite to the ceremony?

Each student is entitled to receive two (2) tickets to the ceremony at Nicholas Music Center.

Can’t I please obtain more tickets?

An overflow room is set up to accommodate an additional 200 people and an additional two (2) tickets are available for this venue.  However, tickets for overflow room are on a first-come, first-served basis.

How do I get my tickets?

Tickets will be available for pick-up in the Dean’s Office on the College Avenue Campus from Monday May 4th through Friday May 8th; between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tickets will also be available for pick up in front of the box office on the Douglass Campus on Monday May 4 and Tuesday May 5 between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tickets that have not been picked up by the 8th of May will be distributed to those students who have placed their name on a wait list. (Students may request to be added to this list at the time they pick up their tickets).

Where do I obtain my regalia?

Regalia can be obtained from two places, The University Bookstore, on Albany St. (across from the train station) and The Douglass Co-Op (located on Douglass Campus).  Regalia should be available beginning April 15th.  Please inform your vendor, that you are from Mason Gross.  You will need to purchase a black gown, black cap and black tassel.  Academic regalia is required if you plan to attend the ceremony.

What time do I need to be at the Nicholas Music Center for Commencement?

If you are planning to take part in the commencement ceremony, you should report to the Dance Entrance of Rehearsal Hall no later than 2:00 p.m. Rehearsal Hall is behind Nicholas Music Center on the Douglass Campus. You will receive all instructions at that time.

Is there a rehearsal for commencement?

There will not be a rehearsal for students.  All necessary information will be relayed to you when you report to Rehearsal Hall.

What if I have elderly/handicapped guests attending the ceremony?

Accommodations can be arranged for guests with disabilities.  Students should contact Kayleigh Cesare at kcesare@masongross.rutgers.edu if your guests cannot walk up or down steps, are in a wheelchair, etc.  Handicapped parking located by Nicholas Music Center is on a first-come, first-served basis for those who have official handicap permits.   Guests can be dropped off at the main entrance if all handicapped parking is full.

What time should my guests arrive at the Nicholas Music Center?

We will open the house at approximately 1:45 p.m.  There is no reserved seating.  Be sure to allow ample time for arrival due to traffic patterns and weather.

Parent Information

How do I get to Nicholas Music Center?

Directions to Nicholas Music Center are available at the following website:  http://maps.rutgers.edu/building.aspx?id=227.  Due to construction on the Douglass Campus, please allow ample time to get to the ceremony.

What can I bring with me?

This is a very busy event and space in the seating area is limited.  The event staff cannot monitor nor be responsible for personal items.  Flowers and balloons are not permitted in the seating area.  In addition, please be aware that there will be a security check-point for all students and guests as they enter the buildings.  The less you bring, the less they have to check, and the quicker everyone gets in and gets seated.

Where do I park?

There are several lots where visitors can park located by Nicholas Music Center.  They are lots 79, 79A and 74 (Old Gibbons).  Go here for parking information.

What time do I need to be there?

We will open the house for seating at approximately 1:45 p.m.

Why don’t my tickets have seat numbers on them?

Seating for the ceremony is general admission.  This means seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.  Family seating area will be determined by event staff.

Will the Invitation/Announcement admit me to the ceremony?

Invitation/Announcements are given to the student as a courtesy.  They are not tickets.  Access to the ceremony is limited to ticket holders.  Tickets are distributed to graduating students.

Can we sit near or with our graduate?

No.  All guests are seated in the Mezzanine area.  Graduates are seated in the Orchestra area.

How long will the ceremony last?

The ceremony generally lasts approximately 2 hours depending on the number of students graduating and the speakers. 

What is the overflow room?

The overflow room is a room set up in Rehearsal Hall where additional guests can watch the ceremony on a live video feed on  a large screen.  A separate entrance to Rehearsal Hall, Room 104 is located behind Nicholas Music Center next to the walking bridge.  All tickets for this room are clearly marked with “Rehearsal Hall, Rm. 104”.

Can we bring an infant or small child?

All infants and small children should be able to sit quietly, or you will be asked to leave the ceremony.  Please make arrangements for child-care if your infant or small child cannot sit quietly for 2 hours.  Strollers may also be parked in the lobby as they are not permitted into the space.

Do I need a ticket for a lap-sitting infant or small child?

Due to code regulations and the safety of all in case of emergency, every person entering the seating area of the theater must have a ticket.  No exceptions.

Will additional tickets be available at the ceremony for last minute guests?

No.  Please do not bring extra guests for which you do not already have tickets.

Are there water fountains or vending machines?

Water fountains are located in the lobby of Nicholas Music Center.  A vending machine is located next to the entrance to the walking bridge and Rehearsal Hall, Room 104.

Can I bring food, beverages or bottled water into the ceremony?

No.  Food or beverages are not allowed in Nicholas Music Center.

Can I take pictures?

Yes, you can take pictures.  However, we ask that you be aware of students and others and not obstruct the aisles or block the view for someone else.

Can I bring flowers or balloons into the ceremony?

Yes, but flowers and balloons are a viewing obstruction to other patrons.  We will not allow them in Nicholas Music Center seating area.  If you care to label them with the student’s name, they can be left in the lobby until after the ceremony, where you can retrieve them.

Can I meet my graduate in the seating area after the ceremony?

It is respectfully requested that families and friends arrange to meet each other at the reception outside Nicholas Music Center.  The seating area closes directly after the ceremony ends.

Where are the restrooms located?

Restrooms, including a handicapped accessible restroom, are located in the lobby of the Nicholas Music Center.  The lobby will remain open for ½ hour after the ceremony ends.

Additional non-handicapped restrooms are located on the second floor of Rehearsal Hall over the Main Ticket Office entrance.

Is there a payphone?

A payphone located diagonally across Bettenbender Plaza from Nicholas Music Center entrance outside the Main Ticket Office.

Where can I smoke?

In accordance to New Jersey state law, smoking is not allowed inside any of our buildings.  You may smoke outside Nicholas Music Center.

Click here for information about purchasing Mason Gross School of the Arts diploma frames.

THE RUTGERS UNIVERSITY CLASS COUNCIL IS SPONSORING FREE PORTRAIT SITTING FOR SENIORS

For your convenience, Chappell Studio will be taking Cap & Gown portrait photos at Rutgers University. You will receive a passport-sized, color proof image in the mail approximately one week after the event.  A link to your digital proofs will also be emailed to you 2-3 days following the portrait session. There is no obligation to purchase, and Chappell Studio guarantees complete satisfaction.  Schedule your session online at:   http://www.gradimages.com/portraits/index.cfm?OID=22472009W1 or by calling 1-800-424-3686.  Walk-ins are also welcome.  For more information you can go to http://getinvolved.rutgers.edu.   Questions can be directed to osi@echo.rutgers.edu.    

Students are welcome to get their photos done at any of the locations available, regardless of affiliation.  Caps and gowns will be provided.