It was the sort of mid-June morning that global warming deniers dream of: cold and threatening rain. the rain held off until all the speakers had spoken, all the graduates had done their walk across the stage, and all the degrees had been passed out. That's as much as you can ask for, really.
through a quirk of teaching schedules, I actually knew fewer people in this graduating class than most others-- I didn't teach the big intro courses in their first year, so I didn't see the usual crop of would-be engineers. I've seen this year's physics graduates a lot, though-- I've had them all in class at least twice, and they've all done summer research in the department, so I've seen them almost year-round for the last four years. It'll be strange to come back to campus next fall and not see some of them around.
In Arbitrary Numerical Signifier news, this is the tenth graduation ceremony I've gone through on the faculty side. I agree with David Galef in Inside Higher Ed-- this is an incredibly important moment for the students and their families, and I think it's important to show up and congratulate them in person. I haven't missed a Commencement yet, even the year that I had to drive back over the mountains that morning from my own tenth college reunion to get there for the reading of names. I don't plan to miss any, if I can avoid it-- it's always great to see the looks on the faces of the graduates when they come out after the ceremony.
Anyway, congratulations to Danny, Peter, Colin, Chad, Archy, Katie, and Pam, and also to non-Physics grads Rob, Sky, Leah, and Julie. It's been great having you around, and you'll be missed. May you all find success in grad school, work, or whatever other career path you choose.
As one who has experienced all three modes: student; parent; and faculty; I would suggest that the cat food model is pretty good. Simply put, it is the customer who values the graduation ceremony and the presence of faculty, but not the consumer unless the two are the same.
We'll take one, thanks.
Of course, there is being there in body but not in mind or spirit.
An MIT graduate hypothesized that the two professors pictured on the platform in this photo were playing "Angry Birds" on their cellphones throughout the ceremony.
http://i.imgur.com/3ktTkl.jpg