Saturday, May 20, 2006

IVC Commencement photos (part 1)

She went away for the holidays
Said she's going to LA
But she never got there
She never got there
She never got there, they say

The KKK took my baby away
They took her away, away from me
The KKK took my baby away
They took her away,
They took my baby away


--The Ramones

The weather was nice. Lots of sun, lots of fun, lots of smiles.

We pledged our allegiance to the flag. I wonder if anyone really thought about what they were doing. Allegiance--to a flag?

Which reminds me of something E.M. Forster once wrote:
"If I had to choose between betraying my country and betraying my friend, I hope I should have the guts to betray my country."

An old professor of mine--I think he knew Plato--used to quote Forster. That was his favorite quotation.

Trustee Tom Fuentes prayed to the Lord. He thanked the fellow for "taxpayers." Really. Students laughed, then faculty guffawed.

If Forster were alive, he'd have a real problem with Mr. Fuentes with all his talk about taxpayers, "our Lord," and "our nation."

If I guy is a rat to real flesh-and-blood people, then all the abstract high-minded yammering in the world don't mean bupkis.

These people look like they could be friends or something.

Did I mention that, when Trustee Fuentes spoke, he thanked "Ladies and gentlemen" and--"boys and girls"?


The band was pretty hot. At one point, Dennis stared them down through a whole number. Dennis can be funny.

Peter was honored as full-time teacher of the year. He didn't speak really, though he did point out that he "was with the Ramones." I don't think Dennis or the trustees know about the Ramones.

Dennis seemed to be doing a comedy routine with a lady who was chosen as Emeritus "Teacher of the Year." She's 92 years old. She used to dance in the Ziegfeld Follies.

That's way cool. The Follies closed shop in the early 30s!

Wendy did a good job reading all the names. I think Lewis was supposed to do that, but he had to see a man about a horse.




Hey, it wasn't perfect, but Commencement was fun, and people had a good time. I know we all wish the graduates a great future. Hope they read Forster. "The Celestial Omnibus" is good. Check it out.


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can't believe that we put up with Fuentes and his absurd prayers. Evidently, we're supposed to act "in service to His Will."

"All this we pray, and all this we say, Amen."

I thought I died and went to church.

Rebel Girl said...

I try to imagine myself at 92--that's in the year 2047--correcting somebody's speech an' upstaging a whippersnapper 60 year-old administrator (born in 1987!).

Nope, ain't gonna happen.

If I make, though, I'll be able to say that I saw the Kinks in Santa Monica, and they were great. I saw BB KIng and John Lee Hooker, too.

Everyone will think I'm magic. They'll wanna touch my gown. Like with that old Emeritus babe.

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...