Graduation 2009

摘要

Spring is always an exciting time in academia. As I write this, we're in the middle of final exams and many students are realizing, some for the first time, that their college careers are almost over. Graduation is looming, and the real world awaits. I really enjoying watching the kids grow and mature (sometimes) during their four (or more) years here, so we're all happy for different reasons. Indeed, one of the things I most enjoy about my job is the sense of closure I feel at the end of each semester. Even though next semester might find me teaching the same course or the same students, it's still a new beginning. When I was on active duty, I can remember the feeling that no problem was ever really permanently solved; it just rolled around again a few years later for the "new" people to deal with anew.