Post-Commencement Freedom

Commencement weekend has come and gone. While I love this time of year with its ceremony, closure, and hope for the future, in my new role as dean and "he who must conduct commencement activities" I am also very happy to have the myriad activities associated with commencement complete. It was a great set of ceremonies. The University decided this year to have the big general commencement with speakers and honorary degrees on Friday afternoon, and the individual college/school convocations on Saturday so that all who needed it could use the additional space afforded by the Centrum. I really like the new format, and I felt that it afforded our graduates and their guests a little longer to savor this time in their lives. I am sure the City Fathers enjoyed it to, it meant an additional overnight and the associated increased revenues.

I will say that after having been crammed in the PE building for several years and being forced to turn away parents and family because of a lack of seating, I was discouraged this year with the level of participation in our event. We graduated about 232, however less than 120 actually decided to march and receive their diplomas. That means that our guests rattled around in the Centrum like marbles in a shoebox. We certainly didn't need all of that room for so few guests.

Senator Bob Bennett was the commencement speaker, and I enjoyed his presentation. He may be on the ropes politically, but I had a chance to show him around the College and our current Science building about a year ago, and I was impressed with his humanity. He is a genuinely nice man. Of course he has brought some of his current political clout to bear on SUU's behalf recently, which doesn't hurt my opinion of him.

The anecdote of the week, however, is Drewfy watching the processional into the Centrum on Friday afternoon, trying to crowd into the line of University administrators and dignitaries and ending up standing next to Senator Bennett to watch the students file by. Realizing he had company, the great man smiled indulgently, and tousled Andrew's hair. They stood companionably there for at least two minutes until Drewfy decided that he wanted to be somewhere else. A little thing to be sure, but Senator Bennett was not posturing for the cameras, or trying to impress. He was just doing what any grandpa would do in the same situation. Enjoying the exuberance of a curious four year old. Journal entry? Perhaps.

Buboppy