new regalia

one nice thing about academia is that one gets to play dress-up on occasion. this friday, i'll be the regents' flag marshal for the graduate school graduation ceremony. here are the instructions:

You will be carrying the Regents’ flag in the procession into the auditorium. After you have been cued at the center aisle door, march down the center aisle to the brass rail. Turn LEFT and walk up the steps to the masking tape marks (“R”) in front of the (Regents) flag stand. Your flag should be dipped lower than the American flag. Remain standing until after the National Anthem has been sung, then place the flag in the flag stand and be seated (your seat in the front row will be marked). You will not carry the flag out. When the ceremony ends, please wait for the mace bearer to exit. You and the other stage participants will follow him off stage to your right.

ok, i think i can handle that. the advantage in carrying the flag is that i'll be right up front to hug the newly-minted dr. vuolo as he receives his hood. i've done this a dozen times or so and i'm usually choking back a tear or two.

i also learned today that i'm chair-elect of the minnversity's council of chairs. there's no special regalia, but it will give me even greater excuse to hang out with friends in the arts and humanities, as well as the social sciences. back when i applied to soc grad school, i also applied to creative writing and social work programs. i know i made the right choice, but the urge to take poetry courses returns every spring like clockwork. on that note, here are a few lines from larissa shmailo:

Spring Vow

We will love like dogwood.
Kiss like cranes.
Die like moths.
I promise.