GRADUATION

Predictably, the final day arrived in a rush.

Mom came into town on Thursday, and in the middle of giving her a tour of Merton, I got a call from a recruiter for a Friday interview in London. Friday morning, I got up at 6 to pick up my suit and (thanks to BT) go to the internet cafe to do some research on the company that was interviewing me. They're called Motability Operations, and they provide disabled people with specially outfitted cars via a UK government weekly allowance. I had a recruiter meeting in London just before we left for Greece, so my suit had spent two weeks crumpled up in a suitcase, and Reba kindly took it to the dry cleaners on Wednesday so I could pick it up on Friday and have a fresh suit for Saturday's graduation. The problem with this was that with the surprise interview, I needed to leave town very early Friday. So, I got my nice shirt, cuff links, tie, dress shoes and socks, and my sweatpants (classy, eh?) and walked up to the dry cleaners to wait for them to open at 8:30. Grabbing my suit, I then went to the cafe to change in the bathroom. The barista clearly thought I was nuts. Whatever. I made it to the train station, and then down to London without too much hassle, and after a few transfers, was at my interview early, which went well. Of course, a trip down to London is an all day affair, and this screwed up my plans to pick up my new robes. The guys at Shepard and Woodward (robe store) were very cool about this, and let me come by early Saturday morning to pick them up. The new robes are a little different than the old ones, they have embroidered arms, bigger wings, and are generally fuller. I also get a cool red hood to go with them. Don't ask how much they cost, it's just depressing to think about!

new robes!

On Saturday, I was up at 7, ran into town to pick up the new robes, came home to clean up and get dressed up in my suit and old academic robes one last time. After my dad died, my mom gave me his MIT class ring, which has an engraving of the industrious MIT beaver mascot on it, but is affectionately referred to by graduates as "the brass rat". I didn't go to MIT, so I don't wear it, and just keep it in a box with my cuff links and other stuff. But, since my dad couldn't be with me on this day, I broke my rule and wore the brass rat just this one time. It felt weird to carry that thing around knowing that he used to wear it for years, but it also seemed an appropriate confluence of my dad, me, and educational dreams. My mom even told me she was glad that I wore it. Then, wearing subfusc and my dad's ring, I walked up the meadow to Merton just the same way I had on the day of Matriculation, so long ago. The sky was clear, and I snapped a couple of cell phone photos for posterity.

Christ Church meadow on graduation day... sigh

Next, I met with the rest of Merton's graduates, about 20 of us, for the day in the New Common Room, which is the same super secret back room that we go to for 3rd deserts after high table. We got a brief lecture in what to and what not to do, and learned the all important words, "do fidem", which means "I swear" in Latin. Then, we all trooped up to the Sheldonian theater, just the same way we did for Matriculation. Note: at Oxford, you don't graduate with your school (e.g. the business school) but instead with all the people graduating from your college, in my case this is Merton. There were D.Phils (PhDs), MAs, MSCs, BSCs (BSs), and one MBA, me! Just like with Matriculation, you are allowed to wear your mortarboard (scholar's cap) in the street on the way to the ceremony, if you like. We got to the Sheldonian, and filed in. My mom and Reba were sitting up in the balcony, waving down at me.

mom at the Sheldonian

Things began with a speech by the vice chancellor about the history and meaning of the ceremony, and a warning that the rest of the day would proceed in Latin! The vice chancellor sat on a chair flanked by two proctors, with an audience of dignitaries sitting behind him on the semi circular benches. He faced down an aisle cut between two ranks of chairs, the first row of which were occupied by deans of colleges, while the rest were occupied by soon-to-be graduates. A lot of Latin, and a lot of taking off of caps followed. Part way through the ceremony, two guys with huge silver maces walk up and down the aisle past the deans, who vote to let the new batch of us graduate by remaining silent while the mace guys pass. Then, the graduates come up in various groups to stand in front of the vice chancellor, take the hand of their deans, and bow once to each of the vice chancellor and his two proctors. Next, we all filed out of the building into a side building, where the porters from the various colleges had our new robes waiting. It's traditional to pay these guys 5 pounds for the service of having your gown ready, putting it on you, and making it look straight. After this, we all lined up once again outside the main doors to go back into the theater as graduates.

lining up in the new gear

There were some other MBAs from my class in this line as well, and it was fun to chat with them about what they've been doing since leaving school etc. In the picture above, you can see some people with white fluffy hoods, they are the MAs. The MAs get a special deal in this ceremony, because they have to go up to the vice chancellor, kneel in front of him, and get tapped on the head with a bible to the words "in the name of the father, son and holy spirit" in Latin. We MBAs don't get that treatment. As we filed into the hall to applause, we stood back up in front of the vice chancellor and bowed again, swearing to uphold the values and laws of the university by saying "do fidem". Then, we filed out again, and were graduates!

The rest of the afternoon was taken up by posing for pictures in various Oxford and Merton locales, and then a lunch in the Saville room at Merton. The dean of Merton himself presented me with my degree, and took a few minutes to chat with me about my next steps, etc. Nice guy, that dean. I wonder if he'll make warden someday, I think he'd be pretty good at it.

in front of the Sheldonian

with one of the heads that inspired me to come to Oxford in the first place

at logic lane... bet there's a lot of these pictures out there

with one of the great old trees in Merton's garden

All in all, the day was lots of fun, and the culmination of a pile of hopes and dreams for me. My mom and Reba were there to support me, and all my fears of failure seemed far away and silly. Because the ceremony takes place well after school completes, and with your college instead of the MBA school, it's much less of a group activity. I really didn't know many people at the ceremony, and there were no parties or big rowdy MBA pub gatherings, so it ended up being a rather personal, reflective day. It was nice that way.

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