The graduation post

Sure enough, I’ve put my four years in. On Saturday, April 28, Bill Clinton gave his best wishes to the University of Michigan’s class of 2007, as well as to probably 50,000 nongraduates crowded into the Big House. He talked about, er, ethical globalization? I think? Y’know how commencement speeches are… Anyway, I laughed out loud at his one sly reference to Hillary (in thanking UM president Mary Sue Coleman for her introduction, he mentioned how “first female president” had a nice ring to it). Oh, and I can’t help but mention the student speaker, who happened to be my friend Abdul El Syed. That guy’s going places. In the end, the two anarchic hours getting into the stadium and waiting for the entire event to kick off were worth it.

After the university-wide commencement, I had another ceremony put on by the poli sci department to run to. Here I was one of the speakers, and I actually managed to get through forty-five seconds on Sigma Iota Rho relatively unscathed (as it turns out, the trend of apathy towards Sigma on the part of the student body also extends to their parents. This worked in my favor.) I had to run out early from the degree-granting ceremony, though — sorry, everybody I missed! — because my sister’s College of Engineering graduation was starting at the same time (I should note that, while we liberal artists didn’t get our reception running until twenty minutes after schedule, I’m told the engineers began right on time).

Following all the graduating, my entire family was exhausted, and it was all we could do to drive sufficiently far enough from campus to find a restaurant that hadn’t been booked solid years in advance. And it was early to bed, since the next morning we had to move Jessica and I out of our old apartment and into a summer sublet, then catch our breath and move my sister out of her coöp. By the time we finished, around ten that night, the family was exhausted anew.

On the whole, graduation was a lot of fun, though, and it’s making me reminisce about my time at Michigan and in Ann Arbor. I could definitely say the same about each of these: on the whole, it was a blast. As it hits me now that I’m leaving the institution and town that really did run my life for the past four years, I’m feeling a little more wistful, maybe, than I was even when I moved here from my hometown. It’s weird, I guess. Then again, I think I was probably thinking the same thoughts in 2003. A look into my old blog (long since removed from the internet) shows

“… The countdown is just reeling now, with 4 1/2 days left for seniors in high school. I really can’t believe that I’m almost out of school. Corunna school has been the unifying factor for just about all my life over which I have recollection, so it’s mighty powerful to think of it just ending on Friday. But I’m convinced that it’s been great, and I’m just as excited as I am nostalgic about it, even if it doesn’t show!”

I guess I don’t remember being that enthusiastic, but there it is. I’m in the same boat now. Michigan was fun, but it’s very cool to be moving on. I hope the next four years are as good as these last four.