Friday, May 26, 2017

IVC Commencement 2017


     It was an overcast afternoon but the usual high spirits of the happy graduates and their proud families carried the day despite the expected gaffes ("graduates of extinction") and usual casual insults from the podium ("Irvine Valley College was probably not your first or even fifth choice..." Ouch!) With trustees like that who needs Betsy DeVos?

     Rebel Girl was on her own today with her Nikon.  She did what she could.


Getting ready.



O Canada!





Runner-up for favorite pic of the day. Dig that Mexican flag in the grad's hand.  "It's a beautiful flag, " Rebel Girl told her.  The grad agreed. 

Late!



Off to Cal State Fullerton to become a guidance counselor. 

 A festive atmosphere in the lounge where retirees like Steve Rochford were the subject of much affection.

Steve and Ted's excellent adventure.

Brenda says goodbye - with Rebecca.

Steve and Roy, retirees both. 

Steve!




Everyone should have a bull horn.


Steve Lee dropped by to make sure all was well.




UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman. When he spoke, everyone playing Commencement Bingo 
got to circle "reference to current political situation."


 



Pride. 


Rebel Girl's favorite photo of the day






Our annual pic of Mark McNeill.

Professor Emily Liu with student. 

Father and son. 

Congratulations everyone!

SEE ALSO:
Irvine Valley College Commencement, 2016

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have often wondered why people at the podium offer those kind of back-handed compliments time and time again, especially the slights against community college. ha ha ha. Do you remember the speaker who made fun of people who worked at fast food restaurants?

Anonymous said...

Someone should tell Chris McDonald that faculty need to be up front so that the family and friends can be closer to the students. They want to look at each other during the long ceremony not us! (They want to take their photos and wave, etc.) Believe me. We were in the way in a big way. Also - that BIG row of missing faculty...that didn't look good. I hope the Senate will address this matter next year.

Anonymous said...

Our students! Yay!

Anonymous said...

I appreciated Gillman's commentary about the value of critical thinking and facts especially in times like these. I wonder if Glenn told him that he voted for Trump.

Anonymous said...

Rockford looks like the Quaker Oats guy.

Anonymous said...

What happened to the programs we usually get? The absence of program made the singing on "alma mater" more impossible than usual. Was this some kind of cost-cutting move?

Anonymous said...

Rochford DOES look like the Quaker Oats guy! I like the Quaker Oats guy. Great photos. Everyone looks so happy.

I don't know what happened to the programs. Too bad. It's nice to be able to see the names of students who graduated and the sequence of events.

I think the reason the students are all looking back in these photos is because they want to see their families. We really do need to rearrange the seating for next year. The faculty only take a few rows and are better up front so the students can be closer to their families. This arrangement did NOT "enhance" the student experience as Chris said it would. It was weird.

Plus there was that big EMPTY row for no-show faculty.

Anonymous said...

How DO they know if we attend or not?

Anonymous said...

Yesterday, much was made of social media hashtags from the stage and on signs posted around campus. Hashtag this, hashtag that. Did the college president really say take out your phones and take a selfie? (Curiously, the stage also sported too prominent NO SMOKING signs as if the dais guests were about to light up. What's that about? Just a little tacky.)

Anyway, one of the encouraged hashtags "Lasers For Life" has been previously claimed by another college - Lassell College (Boston, est. 1851) and also by a Christian music outfit (Hillsong). Just FYI as the kids say. Perhaps a different hashtag?

Anonymous said...

Howard Gillman's speech was not impressive. Should've gotten Mike Pence.

Anonymous said...

Having the retirees in the front was an classy act. I bet Saddleback didn't honor their retiring faculty at Commencement.

Anonymous said...

It was nice that the retirees showed up. I remember some years with Glenn reading names and no one or few being there. I do agree with others that having the faculty BETWEEN parents and students wasn't that pleasant. The students were constantly looking back the parents craning forward trying to locate their grads... I also think all the faculty should be together - retiring and those continuing.

Anonymous said...

Always love the photos of commencement.

Anonymous said...

Why were commencement programs not distributed? Was this also a Chris McDonald refinement? A Davit cost-cutting measure? Anybody know?

Rebel Girl said...

FYI: Programs WERE produced; they just were not distributed in a timely manner before the ceremony nor did there seem to be enough for them for all faculty.

Anonymous said...

You know what's funny? A community college trustee job wouldn't be a top five choice for most aspiring elected officials.

Anonymous said...

I liked seeing the students up front. It is their day.

Anonymous said...

But they've got so many new, higher paid staff working in creative services and marketing, overall a much bigger department. How can this happen?

Anonymous said...

because DO the squeaky, power sick, executive gets whatever she wants. That's what happens when you have weak leadership all around.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone ever taken a good look at the IVC website?

What do you make of this statement about "diversity" found under Explore IVC:


Student Diversity
Students at Irvine Valley College are as diverse as the classes they take. Students hail from more than 50 countries, according to fall 2013 enrollment numbers. More than 300 students are veterans; in fact, IVC was recently designated as a Military Friendly School for the sixth year in a row. The college’s 12 athletic teams are made up of more than 200 student athletes.

For high school students, the IVC CONNECT Partnership Program brings the entire college admissions process to participating high schools, including application workshops, in-service training for high school counselors and onsite English and math assessments.
The IVC Emeritus Institute program challenges older adults to form relationships between their experience and new ideas. Courses stimulate intellectual and personal growth to benefit participants' daily lives. While these courses meet IVC's academic standards, they are not degree applicable.

It's all here at IVC.

Anonymous said...

It says, "Hastily written, hopelessly outdated and as poorly maintained as the rest of the website." Another solid effort by the marketing team.

Anonymous said...

I mean is that really our diversity - international students, athletes, vets and older students? That's it?

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...