I am exhausted right now after a four day whirlwind weekend full of excitement, stress, and 900 miles of driving. Let me tell you about it, then I want to hear all about YOUR weekend.
Way back in May 2020, K1’s alma mater, the University of Rochester, cancelled an in-person Commencement like almost everyone else. While the degrees were conferred, it was via USPS and the main, all-University Commencement ceremony was… to use parlance now very familiar to many of us… Available To Be Viewed Asynchronously. In other words, a prerecorded event. The Department ceremony was actually live over Zoom, with family members invited and a faculty member saying genuine, personal things about each graduate. It was a lovely day, but NOT the same as in-person. University President Sarah Manglesdorf promised that “when it was safe to do so, we would gather again in person for the Ceremony you thought you would be getting”.
October 2nd 2021, this past Saturday, was that day. As part of a much smaller than usual Alumni/Reunion/Parents Weekend (All reunions except 2020 & 2021 were virtual, alumni outside those years were not encouraged to attend, and current families only were invited) the University held a spectacular, in-person Commencement at the Eastman Theater. Normally (as in since 1987, the year AFTER I graduated and the year Mr. Brillig DID graduate) the all-University event is held outdoors because it has more room. Rochester being, well, Rochester, an ourdoor October event cannot be guaranteed, and coupled with the face that unfortunately not every 2020 graduate could travel back, it was in the Eastman Theatre. It was packed to the rafters with fully vaccinated (proof WAS required), fully masked (which people took seriously) graduates and families.
Graduates lined up with their schools (Arts & Sciences, Engineering, Education, Nursing, Medical, Music, and then all doctoral graduates) and processed in to what one faculty member told me was unique to our institution, a Trombone Choir. Thankfully, K1 texted us which of four doors to watch and where in line (right up front!) and we were able to get video! After words by the University President and representatives of the undergraduate and graduate groups, Geena Davis delivered a fantastic Commencement Address.
Then, in a gesture unique to this singularly unique graduating class, the name of every single graduate was read and each got to walk across the stage. This is something that never happens in ‘normal years’; the naming and walking occurs in smaller College and Department ceremonies but not the big all-University event. I heard afterwards that those reading names were told to “read fast” because there were so. many. people. How many, you ask?
According to the seating chart the orchestra section holds 900 people but I think they crammed extra seats in back to get as many in as possible. The reading took somewhere between an hour and ninety minutes. See riiiiiiiight in front of the podium where Geena Davis is speaking? That’s K1!!! We then sang school song The Genesee (verses 1 & 3, verse 2 is Never Sung) and then they all processed out and the celebration began!! Now that Facebook is back up, if you’re there and we’re friends, I have pictures that I won’t post here on a public post and video of the actual Walk. Yeah, I’m a bit proud of K1.
We hung out with K1 Saturday night then hit our favorite breakfast spot on Sunday morning before Mr. Brillig and I headed home. It was a hellishly long drive because the spot that always has traffic backups was SO bad, Waze told us to get off the Mass Pike and spend 30 miles on back roads as the faster route. We were greeted by our Plottie, and by K2 who had exams and decided to stay home. He managed beautifully for his first time home alone, and exceeded every expectation I had.
Best part of all? K1 will earn a MS in School Counseling in a few short months and we’ll get to Commence all over again!! That trip will be all of us, so that K2 can experience all of it.
So… how was YOUR weekend? Take a look at the bonus double edition of Top Comments, Mojo and Pictures then come chat in the comments!
Here at Top Comments we welcome longtime as well as brand new Daily Kos readers to join us at 10pm Eastern. We strive to nourish community by rounding up some of the site's best, funniest, most mojo'd & most informative commentary, and we depend on your help!! If you see a comment by another Kossack that deserves wider recognition, please send it either to topcomments at gmail or to the Top Comments group mailbox by 9:30pm Eastern. Please please please include a few words about why you sent it in as well as your user name (even if you think we know it already :-)), so we can credit you with the find!
[Your wonderful diary goes here. Any topic you want, and we will support you 1000%]
Then there’s this stuff, after your diary, that constitutes the “formatting” part:
TOP COMMENTS
Brillig's ObDisclaimer: The decision to publish each nomination lies with the evening's Diarist and/or Comment Formatter. My evenings at the helm, I try reeeeallllyy hard to publish everything without regard to content. I really do, even when I disagree personally with any given nomination. "TopCommentness" lies in the eyes of the nominator and of you, the reader - I leave the decision to you. I do not publish self-nominations (ie your own comments) and if I ruled the world, we'd all build community, supporting and uplifting instead of tearing our fellow Kossacks down. Please remember that comment inclusion in Top Comments does not constitute support or endorsement by diarist, formatter, Top Comments writers or DailyKos. Questions, complaints or comments? Contact brillig.
We had two comment noms from yesterday, and today was a VERY quiet day sitewide. No highlights to be found.
From Otteray Scribe:
Sockpuppet wrote a funny diary-length comment in Marti's New Day Cafe. She described being there for the great hotel saloon massacree in Creede, Colorado. That may have been the most talked about civic event in Creede since the coward Robert Ford was shot and killed there back in 1892.
From susans:
When everyone (including commenter angry marmot) knows the reference and no explanation is necessary. From CameronProf’s A serious question about Hide Rates so I can understand the official rule
TOP MOJO
Top Mojo for yesterday, October 3rd 2021, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary on FAQing Top Mojo.
TOP PICTURES
Top Pictures for yesterday, October 3rd 2021. Click any picture to be taken to the full comment or picture. Thank you to the wonderful dKos staff who made it possible to continue this feature in memory of jotter!
And what would Monday be without the Top Mojo and Pictures that would have appeared in a Sunday diary?
Top Mojo Sunday Style:
Top Pictures Sunday Style: