Friday, May 23, 2008

Irvine Valley College Commencement

.....Our college's (IVC's) Commencement Ceremony was moved indoors, owing to the threat of rain, but it seemed to go off quite well. Generally, remarks were brief, although Chancellor Raghu P. Mathur used his 2-3 minutes to offer a fifteen minute speech about "fashion and perseverance," I think. Evidently moved by Mathur's sentiments, the student speaker briefly posed for cameras before offering his remarks, which were brief and well-delivered, if banal.
.....Luckily, the keynote speaker, McArthur Fellow Rueben Martinez, gave a marvelous and rousing address that seemed to hit just the right note for the occasion. (See him above.)
.....(For an account of Saddleback College's Commencement Ceremony—with pics—go to OC Register.)




















13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Old hippies.

Anonymous said...

Was that a word association test?

Ok, "immature dickwad."

Your turn.

Roy Bauer said...

Come, come. Let's talk about Commencement! It was pretty successful, wasn't it?

Anonymous said...

Yes, it was successful - perhaps Anon @ 10:03 is one of those faculty friends of Raghu - you know, the ones who seldom show up for commencement at all, 'cause it's all a large lecture paycheck for them, isn't it? Plus travel, of course, to their junkets here and there across the country - they can't be bothered to show up for graduation, unless, of course, they're asked to speak. Even when they get big buildings built for their programs, whole quads dedicated to their disciplines, they don't show up...

I mean, we had three rows of faculty, with about 17 or so in each row - including the deans...someone do the math, please. How many full-timers do we have? What's the ballpark percentage of who showed up?

Anonymous said...

BEST KEYNOTE SPEAKER EVER.

Anonymous said...

I love - generally only the so-called troublemakers show up to graduation - not the admin's allies, just us - the people they love to hate.

Anonymous said...

Hi! IMO it was great that IVC got Reuben Martinez to speak at the commencement ceremony. Ever since I've known him he's been a great public speaker, & a fantastic human being. Haven't been to his book store in a long time though. In any case, how did he get selected to be the commencement speaker? Was it the IVC ASG who chose him? I'm just curious how they got him approved past Fuentes. Last time I checked (& I'm sure I'm 100.1% I'm right now) Reuben was a staunch Democrat who is the opposite of what Fuentes, Wagner & Williams stand for.:-)

Anonymous said...

Ohhh, a little sensitive are you, 12:06?

AOR said...

Raghu can't seem to understand he's not been invited to be the commencement speaker. He always speaks longer than everyone else -- a true insult to the people we do invite.

Anonymous said...

I agree w/you 100% Alannah. The ONLY reason that would make me want to attend this graduation would be to hear Reuben Martinez. I just wish that we had a remote control or DVR to either put the sound of Goo's voice on mute or zoom through w/o listening to his long drawn out pontificating. I just know that the last thing I want is to sit there & listen to this man go on & on pontificating. From what it seems like I know whenever I go he does this every single time. I can only imagine parents & graduates checking their watches & wondering, "What time are our dinner reservations dear?" What more can I say, but I truly empathize w/you who have to sit through Goo's nauseating self-important blatherings on at least a weekly basis, & especially during graduations fully knowing that the only reason he got his Ph.D. was from a Cracker Jack box from NOVA.:-)

Jonathan K. Cohen said...

I have no joke here; I just like saying "triumpal [sic] march from Aida."

Seriously, commencement is the most moving time of the year. When I think of all the IVC students I knew, with all their difficulties and complicated lives, bringing it together to graduate, despite flaws in the institution which many of them never perceived, I can't help but be proud. And I'm just an interloper.

Navid said...

Thanks for posting! I'm glad I got a glimpse of Professor Marmolejo. That man is the best thing to happen to education since Emile. I probably wouldn't be a history major if it wasn't for him.

Anonymous said...

anybody want to play hockey?

Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

  This ran in the Sunday December 24, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register : July 14, 1955 - November 20, 2...