And graduation again

 Today was (one of three) graduation. (Faculty signed up for one if they wanted to; they limited attendance and it was outdoors AND we had to wear masks).

It was different, and yet....it was familiar enough that it felt good.

One thing I missed in both spring and fall 2020 was that "punctuation" on the semester, that feeling of "okay, it's officially over." There were solely virtual graduations and I didn't really tune in to them because I just didn't feel like it - I guess they were like slide shows and a taped address from the university president.

There were only about 30 faculty present (there are ~150 faculty total? I think?). I am pretty sure I was the only one from my department (but then again, there are a couple people who will do what they can to avoid going, at least in the before-times when we were sort of expected to go). I wanted to attend partly for the students (A few of our graduates went through today) but also for me, I had missed that feeling of an official end to the semester.

As I said, it was different

The most obvious things were fewer people, and everyone was masked. It was outdoors, but some years in the past our spring graduations were outdoors. 

The chairs were spaced 6' apart, which worked okay with the smaller number of people. I actually liked it - in the past it was warm and kind of claustrophobic to be sitting with people right on either side of you; the 6' distance allowed for the breeze to blow between us and it wasn't so intensely warm. 

There was no live band - they had recorded the wind ensemble playing "Pomp and Circumstance" and then whatever Sousa march it was we recessed to (I forget the name, it's one that becomes faster about halfway through and it felt like they were trying to speed us up to get us out of there, even though this is the only graduation today)

They had us line up in the gym - students in one place, faculty in another, "podium squad" (mostly admins) in a third. As always, it was hurry up and wait - they told us to be there at 8:30, I was there around 8:15 because I have a horror of being late to stuff, we FINALLY lined up around 9 and probably walked out onto the field at 9:10 or so. 

Walking out, hearing "Pomp and Circumstance" again after more than a year (December 2019 was the last time we had in person graduation), I kind of felt tears prickling at the back of my eyes, but I told myself no, and that if I had to cry, I needed to wait until I was home. 

We were directed to the (distanced) seats and stood while an excellent voice student sang the National Anthem (She was distanced from everyone - so she could do it, also we are outdoors). There was an invocation, and then we sat. And I thought, "This feels like the old world has ended, and here we are, survivors, hanging on to some of the old ways in a new world that is totally different" - sitting there, distanced, fewer in number, outdoors, masked. 

And yet, by the end of it, I felt more like "We're going to be okay, ultimately."

It was shorter than in the past - no outside speaker (a Regent gave a few minutes of remarks but I remember that the invited speakers were sometimes not the best - often minor state politicians looking REALLY to drum up support for their re-election rather than convey wisdom to the graduates; once, a self-promoting businessperson, so the loss of the speaker was no great loss). Less music, which did seem a bit of a loss - not having the choir sing was something I miss a little. 

A couple of our graduates WERE in this ceremony, including a student from China I had in many of my classes and who seemed not to have too many people to clap for him present, so I was glad I went to be able to applaud for him. 

And then the recessional, and we walked out, much like in past years. I did see a few people hugging (mostly family groups, though, it looked like), much like in past years. And, much like in past years: it ate a chunk out of the "productive" morning of the day - so I think instead of going in to the office I will do the week's yardwork and maybe do some sewing later on instead.