Sunday, May 17, 2015

Dissertation Defense Post-Mortem

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I had my dissertation defense coming up; understandably, some of you are probably interested in how that went. I'll spare you the disgusting details, and come out and say that I passed, that I made revisions, submitted them about a week and a half ago, and participated in the graduation ceremony in full regalia, which I discarded afterward in the back of a U-Haul truck for immediate transportation to a delousing facility located somewhere on campus. Given that I was sweating like a skunk for nearly three hours (Indiana has quite a few graduates, it turns out), that's probably a wise choice.

For those who need proof that any of this happened, here's a photo:


I believe this conveys everything you need to know. Also, it costs considerably less than paying for the professional photos they took during graduation. Don't get me wrong; the ceremony itself was an incredible spectacle, complete with the ceremonial mace, tams and tassels and gowns of all fabrics and colors, and the president of the university wearing a gigantic medallion that makes even the most flamboyantly attired rapper look like a kindergartener. Even for all that, however, I don't believe it justifies photos at $50 a pop.

Currently I am in Los Angeles, after an extended stint in Vancouver Island visiting strange lands and people, touring the famous Butchart Gardens, and feeding already-overfed sea lions the size of airplane turbines. Then it's back to Minneapolis, Chicago, and finally Bloomington to pack up and leave for the East Coast.

3 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Congratulations Andy. Or do I call you Dr. Jahn now? I hope you enjoyed some fine malt beverage after said ceremony. Keep it up!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just don't call me late for dinner!

      But seriously, Dr. Jahn would be appreciated.

      Delete