First Day of Class

I’ve always loved the first week of school. I know that September 21^st or 22^nd is the last day of summer in any given year, but Labour Day Monday has always felt like the “real” last day of summer to me. Why?--because the day after Labour Day always signifies the first day of a new school year, which means the start of new classes, new teachers, new friends, and potentially all kinds of new possibilities. It has always been this way, beginning at the age of five when I let go of my mom’s emotional embrace to take my first steps into the first days of kindergarten. But kindergarten and grade school is one thing, college and university is another; the anticipation and excitement of the new school year, and all that it represents, really comes into its own and peaks with the first few days of college or university. 

I send out a huge congrats to all the new post-secondary students for getting to this point, and a massive welcome and good luck to all of you for the upcoming school term and year. Study hard, join a club, and make some new friends.  Go to a party on campus, eat a lot of macaroni and cheese in your dorm, and check out the library and the fitness facilities.  Talk to your profs, advisors, and classmates, and simply get involved.  Don’t forget to phone home and tell Mom you miss her.  Oh yes, and stay away from too much texting, too much surfing, and too many video games. They are allies with that little devil called procrastination. To be successful you will need to stay focused, work hard, and have fun.  And please do not underestimate the power of having fun.  Best of luck to everyone!

Graduation Day

I was on my lunch break and on the way to the gym for my usual noon hour workout. To get from the Vice-President’s office, where I work, to the gym, I have to pass by what the university calls the Convocation Mall, which is a big open air space that Simon Fraser University utilizes for their bi- yearly graduation ceremonies. Today, the Convocation Mall was in full swing, with graduates, their family and friends, and all kinds of university dignitaries present.  Today was graduation day for hundreds of newly minted bachelor degree holders.

As I passed by the festivities, I stopped to take in some of the atmosphere. Names were being called as gowned graduates with glowing smiles walked across the stage to receive their diploma.  Friends and families cheered and cameras flashed with each name read out. I smiled as I heard each name; after all, this is what it is all about. 

I thought about what each of these students might be doing in the near future.  I am sure some probably had jobs lined up, while others didn’t.  I bet some people barely scraped by, while others breezed through their studies.  I couldn’t help but speculate that some were forced to go by parents or family pressures, while others chose university out of a love for learning.  But one thing I was certain about is that at this point in time, on this given day, none of that mattered.  The day was about them and about their accomplishment.  And regardless of where each of them came from or where each of them was going, for this brief all important moment in their lives, they all shared an amazing human emotion—that of pride.