Convocation...
It is official:
In "Datae die II mensis Iunii Anni Domini MMV" I was granted a M.A. in Linguistics! (Oh, Latin, it is just so cool; My B.A. diploma was in Ancient Greek, so now I have diplomas in both classical languages! )
O.K., O.K., back to Earth now. I know it is not a PhD, but it is definitely a good start.
The ceremony was just great. (It was the first time I attended a typical North-American convocation ceremony, you know, where people are dressed in gowns, there is a band playing etc. (In Greece, we generally keep it simpler).
So, details:
I woke up in time (yes, that was 7.30 for me!!), put on some decent clothes and my gown (I needed the safety of my mirror at home) and headed to the campus. I actually managed to get there really early. (I was the first to arrive). The people there were very friendly and helpful; they even helped me with the hood and (I have to admit) with the hat also; I was a first-timer, remember?
The weather was just wonderful! A beautiful sunny day, not a cloud in the sky and relatively warm. I am accustomed to higher temperatures, but to be honest, going out with a a formal pair of trousers, shirt, a tie AND the gown under 28° C, it is not a great idea. But, there were a lot of people waiting for a beautiful spring/summer day (including me), and today our common wish had come true. So, no complaints there.
The ceremony itself was a bit long and at sometimes boring, although Jack Rabinowitch (who was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters) gave a truly wonderful speech.
So, I got on the stage, shook hands with the chancellor and got my diploma.
Now, there was a moment at the stage when I really had a very weird look on my face (pictures were taken at a rate of 10/minute (pictures will be posted as soon as I get them), and the ceremony was recorded on video (oh, oh!!) but it was just a reflex when my name was completely altered by the reader who presented me as "Anastasios Tisamis".
Could somebody explain to me, why people call me like that (Anastasios vs. Athanasios) , as prof. B.G., used to? I mean [n] and [θ] are hardly related in articulation. As for the alternation of my last name, what can I say? Apparently the reader had a problem with affricates and/or complex onsets.
Anyway,I had a great time. I also want to congratulate all the graduates in Linguistics especially, awesome oh (who was not there) and Meg and Jill (who were there) and wish them all the best.
Finally, my gratitude to all my friends that were with me corporeally or in spirit today and generally this last year. The last months had been very difficult for me and I just want to thank you all for being truly my family here. Love you all...
What I hold from this day, is the nice ceremony, the presence of good friends, and of course, this cool Diploma in Latin....
And BTW, there were a lot of people of the opposite sex (who I didn't know) that were very friendly with me. Either it is the AXE effect or just the gown (after all, it is a kind of a uniform!!)
In "Datae die II mensis Iunii Anni Domini MMV" I was granted a M.A. in Linguistics! (Oh, Latin, it is just so cool; My B.A. diploma was in Ancient Greek, so now I have diplomas in both classical languages! )
O.K., O.K., back to Earth now. I know it is not a PhD, but it is definitely a good start.
The ceremony was just great. (It was the first time I attended a typical North-American convocation ceremony, you know, where people are dressed in gowns, there is a band playing etc. (In Greece, we generally keep it simpler).
So, details:
I woke up in time (yes, that was 7.30 for me!!), put on some decent clothes and my gown (I needed the safety of my mirror at home) and headed to the campus. I actually managed to get there really early. (I was the first to arrive). The people there were very friendly and helpful; they even helped me with the hood and (I have to admit) with the hat also; I was a first-timer, remember?
The weather was just wonderful! A beautiful sunny day, not a cloud in the sky and relatively warm. I am accustomed to higher temperatures, but to be honest, going out with a a formal pair of trousers, shirt, a tie AND the gown under 28° C, it is not a great idea. But, there were a lot of people waiting for a beautiful spring/summer day (including me), and today our common wish had come true. So, no complaints there.
The ceremony itself was a bit long and at sometimes boring, although Jack Rabinowitch (who was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters) gave a truly wonderful speech.
So, I got on the stage, shook hands with the chancellor and got my diploma.
Now, there was a moment at the stage when I really had a very weird look on my face (pictures were taken at a rate of 10/minute (pictures will be posted as soon as I get them), and the ceremony was recorded on video (oh, oh!!) but it was just a reflex when my name was completely altered by the reader who presented me as "Anastasios Tisamis".
Could somebody explain to me, why people call me like that (Anastasios vs. Athanasios) , as prof. B.G., used to? I mean [n] and [θ] are hardly related in articulation. As for the alternation of my last name, what can I say? Apparently the reader had a problem with affricates and/or complex onsets.
Anyway,I had a great time. I also want to congratulate all the graduates in Linguistics especially, awesome oh (who was not there) and Meg and Jill (who were there) and wish them all the best.
Finally, my gratitude to all my friends that were with me corporeally or in spirit today and generally this last year. The last months had been very difficult for me and I just want to thank you all for being truly my family here. Love you all...
What I hold from this day, is the nice ceremony, the presence of good friends, and of course, this cool Diploma in Latin....
And BTW, there were a lot of people of the opposite sex (who I didn't know) that were very friendly with me. Either it is the AXE effect or just the gown (after all, it is a kind of a uniform!!)
posted by Immortalis at 5:54 μ.μ.
4 Comments:
Congratulations, Thanos!
Thank you guys so much!!.
Ém , Raph: hope to see you when you return.
Meg: Do not worry about the bowl! (BTW, they did not take my ID, so no problem!!!)
Congratulations Thanos.
As for the women, it's not the cap and gown. It's the fact that you're Greek and know how to cook.
Your former student
B.W.: Thanks for the truly kind comments!
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