It rained the day the Wife graduated from college, which forced the school to put the commencement ceremony in the school gym instead of out on the beautiful lawns surrounded by singing birds and early-morning mist and sunlight. She has never forgiven the college for this. Though, as a Kenyon grad, this might be just as annoying:
Dear Members of the Graduating Class of 2008,
It is with profound sadness that I must convey to you that Peirce Hall will be unavailable to you for any of the festivities that occur during Senior Week and Commencement.
For those of you unfamiliar with Peirce Hall (and, yes, that is the correct spelling) it is the historic dining room at Kenyon. Think Harry Potter’s dining hall and you’ll get the idea. They are presently in a major renovation of the space, including a “new” Dempsey Hall, and even hard hats won’t allow students eating room. Too bad. Though for female matriculants of the College, the freedom from having to walk “the gauntlet” might be refreshing.
I admit I do feel a little bad for this year’s senior class, since the construction is so far behind schedule, and they kept getting reassurances that, no really, it would be done on time. Now we are hearing that it will absolutely positively be done in September, but I’m not holding my breath.
I felt less sorry for last year’s seniors – largely because a few of them were really the whiniest, most put-upon people I had ever met. To hear them tell it, it was all some sort of conspiracy against their class in particular. As was the loss of the senior week cabaret. And the fact that it rained during Summer Send-Off. Waaaah.
BTW, invoking Extendo AND “The Seen” pretty much sent me back to 1989. Thanks to you, I will have Lisa Stansfield stuck in my head for the rest of the day.