On Second Thought

On second thought, maybe I’m not embarrassed of this picture.

***

I attended the College of Education’s graduation ceremony. I read the names of graduates in English Education. There were only three this semester. This is the smallest number of graduates since I got here. Our small graduating class is a blip. Enrollment is skyrocketing. People must know that the University of Iowa has the finest English Education program in the country. Just kidding. Kind of.

The three beautiful people that graduated this fall are going to beautiful English teachers. I’m proud of them.

On Friday morning, I attended the Graduate College’s graduation ceremony. This was the first doctoral hooding ceremony I’ve attended at the University of Iowa. I awkwardly placed a new doctor of philosophy’s hood around her neck. I was proud to do so. She is a courageous scholar.

After the second graduation ceremony last week, I wore my regalia into Lindquist so I could hang my gown up in my office. I walked by the graduate student office. One of our finest doctoral students, hard at work on her dissertation, took one look at me and burst out laughing. I burst out laughing too. She snapped a picture.

“It’s the hanger,” she said. “This needs to be documented.”

The graduate student sent me the photo. At first, I was reminded that every year my regalia looks worse on me. I sent the picture to my wife.

“I look awful,” I said. My insecure ego. My desperate plea for validation. In the words of Adam Duritz, I wish I were beautiful.

“You look like you’re laughing. You look like you’re happy,” Katie wrote back. “You are shouting for joy because the semester is over.”

I am shouting for joy because the semester is over.

***

It occurred to me, as I sat on stage last week, that I have sat through countless graduation ceremonies. Robbinsdale Cooper High School required teachers to attend the ceremony. Roseville Area High School strongly suggested teachers be at graduation. Penn State Altoona also strongly suggested faculty should attend the ceremony. I have been at every graduation ceremony since I arrived at Iowa in the fall of 2022. Somebody has to read the names of graduates in English Education and that somebody has been me.

Throw in my four ceremonies, High school, BA, MEd., and PhD, and that’s a lot of time graduating.

Graduation ceremonies still move me. Taking a moment to pause and honor the work that goes into cultivating our capacities to build knowledge and shape schools and society matters. It is good to honor that important work with others, even if that means sitting motionless on a stage, dressed as a medieval barrister.

You should know that I have no idea what a barrister is. I’m certain I’ve misused the word. I’m not going to Google it. You can use ChaptGPT all you want during your writing. Not me. My writing is embarrassingly human, and it always will be.

Anyway, on second thought, the photo above is not so bad. But if you want to trace the way my appearance in regalia has changed, check out this shot from my hooding ceremony. A different man in a different place. Still working to contribute to the betterment of the universe, though. And I’m proud of that: