MOURNING: Graduates wear ribbons yesterday, as President Stuart Rabinowitz (above center) and Sen. Charles Schumer (right) observe a moment of silence. (Joe DeMaria)
MOURNING: Graduates wear ribbons yesterday, as President Stuart Rabinowitz (right center) and Sen. Charles Schumer (far right) observe a moment of silence. (
)
Tears and a moment of silence marked Hofstra University’s graduation ceremony yesterday in memory of slain classmate Andrea Rebello.
Many of the nearly 700 grads bore the initials “RIP” on their mortarboards and wore white ribbons on their blue gowns as Hofstra President Stuart Rabinowitz paid tribute to Rebello, 21, who had wrapped up her junior year a day before she was shot dead in Friday’s home invasion.
“I want to express our community’s collective grief and our sorrow over the senseless death of a very young member of the Hofstra family,” Rabinowitz said.
“You will hear in this program lots of advice. But Andrea had a bit of advice that she took from a Bob Marley song [and] quoted it often. It was: ‘Live the life you love and love the life you live.’ ”
Addressing the class, Sen. Charles Schumer tried to balance the tragedy with the importance of the day for the grads.
“We feel shocked and horrible about Andrea’s loss, but it’s a very proud day of accomplishments for all of you and all of your families,” he said before reciting the poem “Death Be Not Proud.”
Rebello, a p.r. major from Tarrytown, had attended the school with her twin, Jessica.
Both were held in their off-campus home early Friday by gunman Dalton Smith. Jessica escaped, but Smith and Andrea were killed as the ex-con used her to shield himself from a cop’s gunfire.
“It’s a sad thing,” said grad Richard Stuart. “Everyone is still wondering why it happened.”