Graduation day, finally. Walked over to the packed old campus interior, with thousands upon thousands of filled seats. At around 10:30, the processions started, visible mainly from the jumbotrons. Lots of young people in black robes. The Forestry school grads had plants and shrubbery on their heads, which was the highlight.
After some speeches, each dean exchanged formal words with the President, who conferred degrees to everyone except for the law school students (who still need to pass the bar). The honorary degrees were numerous (10) and high profile. They included: Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, novelist Orhan Pamuk, the President of Liberia, and Aretha Franklin, who got the loudest cheers. None of them spoke, and accepted their doctorates silently.
Everyone marched out and we went to the Morse courtyard for the presentation of undergraduate diplomas, by residential college. This was much more intimate and consisted of a speech by the Master, prizes, and each student (roughly 100) being presented with a diploma and their major and honors noted.
We ate a terrific lunch in the commons (amazing strawberry shortcake) and went over to the English department, where my brothers introduced me to their professors, one of whom is a prominent writer.
I took taxi back to Bradley international airport and talked to the driver about weekend, the recession, and the changing demographic breakdown of the U.S.
The President of Liberia was on my flight back to DC, and I congratulated her on the honorary doctorate. She was surprised, but quickly figured out that i'd been at the ceremony. Smart woman.
Loisaida is a term derived from the Latino (and especially Puerto Rican) pronunciation of "Lower East Side", a neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City. Loisaida Avenue is now an alternate name for Avenue C in the Alphabet City neighborhood of New York City, whose population has largely been Hispanic (mainly Puerto Rican) since the late 1960s.
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