Thursday, 16 December 2004
@ 8.50 am
From Graduand to Graduate
Yesterday, for the second and probably final time this year, I donned a tie. And then, for the second and possibly final time ever, an academic gown, and a hood of pink and silver. This was so I could look respectable enough to warrant being part of a parade through town (we took a different route to the last time I did it, probably due to threat of rain, and it was very cool to look back and see the parade snaking down Oxford terrace and through Victoria Park from the bridge of drunen walking fame), followed by a brief walk across the townhall stage to shake the hand of the University Chancellor and receive my official degree (all a blur - words were mumbled, smiles given, hand shaken, all on the big screen. I did manage to remember to put my trencher on before heading down the stairs though).
So, I now have a "Masters with Distinction in Political Science" to hang on my wall. Swee.
The ceremony itself is rather cool, with it's medieval feel (the University mace, the shaft of which is made out of oak from a beam removed from Big Tom Tower at the College of Christ Church at Oxford University in 1953, originally out in the tower in 1680; the banners from the various faculties; the surreal, Phantom of the Opera-esque organ player; the fanfare as academics enter in their multitude of different coloured gowns...) which gives a certain sense of timelessness to the whole event - and a definite feeling of a link to the past. Unfortunately, this ancient feeling was somewhat shattered at the announcement of the first PhD in Cellular and Microbiology. They were getting away with it before then, and perhaps would have still if they'd used a term closer to the "Mysterys and Secrettes of Lyfe" or somesuch.
There was definitely a certain buzz about seeing some of my original tutorial students (from three years past) graduate with BAs. I can only assume they were in Political Science and it was my expert tutelage right at the beginning of their university careers that spurred them on to attaining such high honours - and not think too hard about what me watching them graduate means about the length of time I've been at University for... And it was also great to see the likes of Chris Carter (from Burnside) graduate with his PhD (in Zoology) and Hamish MacIntyre (from Alice in Wonderland) graduate with a Masters (in Mechanical Engineering).
Oh, and did I mention one Mr Kyle Millar graduated with a BA? Anything's possible, obviously!
The most surreal thing about the whole day though? Graduating more then nine months after submitting, and several months after finding out what the mark was! It did kind of suck the excitement out of the whole process somewhat. That being said, I'd definitely recommend it. You don't get to do it that often, really. And now I can truly say that the Masters thesis...
...is done.
