So, I graduated last night. It was interesting.

I really hope that Canisius posts a video of the commencement ceremony. Some highlights:

• The commencement speaker managed to spend a sizable chunk of his speech telling us how important it is to financially support the college, now that we are alumni. The audience for this just spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $30k, at least, to get to this point. Apparently, not enough. Then again, the commencement speaker was the head of the local PBS affiliate; it’s entirely possible that begging for money is just an instinct that kicks in when he sees a crowd.
• This was balanced by the president of the college telling us that we’re graduating into a terribly economy anyway, and good luck with finding a job in the Mad Max times that we’re all living in now. The Thunderdome is the new law. He said we were lucky to be graduating from Canisius, though, because apparently a degree from a regional liberal arts college is a valuable credential in the New Economy. I’m not sure if he actually believes that or if he’s just being nice.
• There were a staggering number of people graduating from the School of Education. Hundreds. Probably fifty or sixty in physical education alone. No wonder I know so many unemployed teachers; the market has got to be completely flooded.
• Apparently Canisius now offers a degree program in Applied Nutrition. So, if you’ve ever considered getting yourself deeply in debt to have your eating prowess certified, now’s your chance.

Anyway, it’s been three tough years, but I’m done. And I’m glad. I may go back to school at some point in the future, but for now, I plan on spending those two nights a week I was in class with my sons, instead. And I couldn’t be happier.