Sagesse From the Stars

Reedy rocker oft-confused with reedy rocker Patty Smyth

School: Pratt

Commencement: Monday, May 17

Pearls of wisdom: “So, floss, you know, use salt, baking soda, get them professionally cleaned, you know, for a bit, take care of your damn teeth.”

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Chameleonic matron-actress

School: Barnard College

Commencement: Monday, May 17

Pearls of wisdom: “My success has been predicated on pulling things over on people.”

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Sensible New York Times op-ed columnist

School: Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

Commencement: Tuesday, May 18

Pearls of wisdom: “The new generation of readers doesn’t have the attention span of a gnat. You wish. It has the attention span of … infant gnats. Infant gnats with A.D.D. They’ve grown up in a world with so many continual distractions that reading a paragraph is a commitment.”

Project Runway eminence

School: Fashion Institute of Technology

Commencement: Tuesday, May 25

Pearls of wisdom: At the Fashion Group International's Rising Star Awards in January, Ms. Garcia told young designers, "Be yourself, be bold and make fashion history."

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