commencement

Yesterday I attended two commencement ceremonies, one for each of my departments, both in the regalia my parents bought for me when I earned my degree 6 years ago. I was prepared for the multiple times that the meaning of commencement would be elaborated, that crying babies would be hurried out, and that cell phones would go off. But I really wasn't prepared to have such a good time. Among the graduates, especially in English, there were so many familiar faces and names. Before I left for my Pitt stint, I taught a 72-student literary theory course and dozen or so of those students yesterday shook hands with the Dean, looking slightly embarrassed because their families couldn't suppress their squeals and hollers. Several of them wore the braided cords and colors--graduation bling--that indicated the honors and distinctions they've accumulated in the past years.

After the ceremonies I posed for pictures with former students: one who took my gestures course this past fall and one from a long-ago literary bodies class. I witnessed an exuberant graduate's testimonial to Joe Valente, whose lecture course apparently inspired this woman to change her major to English, because in her words, she thought "this stuff is CRAZY GOOD." My very first honors student, who wrote a killer honors thesis that received high distinction, introduced me to his parents, sister, and girlfriend. I got to meet the family of a PhD student I had the privilege of hooding.

I'm not usually one for ceremony--the parades held for my various championship teams were all rather daunting, and John and I got hitched at a courthouse. I know it's a little cheesy, but something about going through the graduation ritual may have changed my relationship to my students, past and future, and, frankly, to my job. Having lined up with colleagues in our billowy robes to perform the old, old rituals (including following the bag-pipe playing kiltwearer through the parted sea of blue robes and even singing the alma mater); having witnessed the spectacle, from our vantage point on the stage, of the smiling whooping, flashing, jiggling, waving parents--some even brought signs as if ESPN would be there--will, in all likelihood, make me a better teacher.

Comments

[Lance]

"graduation bling"--ha! (You know, with a little elbow grease and some networking, you might just be able to take that market to the next level--Flavor Flav® Brand "Summa Cum Laude" medallions, e.g.)