Columbia University’s normally joyous graduation ceremony was tinged by sadness yesterday after the body of a missing student due to receive his diploma was found floating in the East River just hours earlier.
“As we begin this commencement ceremony, Richard Ng and the Ng family are in our prayers,” said school chaplain Jewelnel Davis, who addressed a sea of blue caps and gowns before commencement speaker Sen. John McCain took the podium.
Most of the stunned graduating class was unaware that the despondent Ng – missing since he was last seen in his dorm on May 7 – had died.
Police sources said the quiet student from Syosset, L.I., may have killed himself because he feared he had done poorly on his final exams.