Thousands of cheering spectators packed the stands of Franklin Field Sunday evening to honor the College's Class of 2004 at this year's graduation ceremony.
As the procession of students entered the venue, many graduates used cell phones to communicate their location on the field to loved ones in the stands.
After the students had taken their seats, the faculty procession entered. One enthusiastic graduate close to the procession stood up out of his seat to elicit congratulatory high-fives from a few of the professors.
Greetings from College Dean Rebecca Bushnell and School of Arts and Sciences Dean Samuel Preston -- in his last College graduation ceremony at that post -- were followed by a speech from graduating senior Rebecca Fishman, who was chosen to represent her peers.
In her address, Fishman cited Locust Walk as the symbolic crux of her class' collective Penn experience.
"It was an honor to share a common ground with you, the Class of 2004," she said.
The evening's distinguished speaker was NBC News Correspondent and Penn alumnus Ron Allen, who received degrees from both the College and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in 1979.
One of Allen's primary messages to the graduates was to appreciate the present while anticipating the future.
"Be sure to make the most of every step along the way," Allen said.
Allen also encouraged the graduates to seek inspiration and enlightenment beyond the coasts.
"I urge you to become a citizen of the world," he said.
In his concluding remarks, Allen stressed that, "Life is not a competition, it is a journey."
The graduates were then called to the stage individually by major to receive their degrees. After the last Women's Studies major returned to her seat, the College Class of 2004 erupted into their final rendition of The Red and Blue as Penn undergraduates.
