And now it's all behind us

Herein lies a brief account of my commencement saga.

Saturday I met my parents for breakfast, and went to the Phi Beta Kappa induction ceremony. I'd sat through the ceremony once before at my fall induction, but my parents hadn't, and it gave me an excuse to wear a flowy green skirt. Then we went to the UPS store and sent all my possessions on their merry westward way. Finally, dinner at my beloved Roomba with Melissa and Michaela. The food was phenomenal. Absolutely delicious, with presentation worthy of the MoMA. I had fufu for the first time, under my mahi mahi, and it was to die for.

Sunday consisted primarily of Baccalaureate and Class Day, as well as the Commencement Ball, which I didn't attend but apparently was packed. Baccalaureate was nowhere near as cool as the one at my high school, but I always find it quite moving to sing and listen to hymns (my musical tastes really do run the gamut, don't they?). I was not fond of President Levin's speech, essentially a half-aimless travelogue of the "Yale 100"'s trip to China. When he recounted one student's statement, "I thought China was still a really backward country," I cringed. Way to portray Yalies as worldly, culturally sensitive progressives. I'd rather have heard him talk a little more about his relationship with our class, or at least how we relate to the changes Yale has seen in the past four years. And I smirked at his two-line reference to global warming -- Yale has done its part, he claimed, by committing to greenhouse gas reduction, but it's up to our generation to do ours. Right, kind of like Climate Campaign pressured you relentlessly for three years before you finally agreed to implement half of our plan.

Class Day was fun. We all wore funny hats -- mine was the Cat in the Hat hat -- with our gowns. Fareed Zakaria gave a really good speech about the importance of staying open to change and possibility in this stage of life. After the address, the event ran a little long, but it was enjoyable and singing "Bright College Years" at the end while waving our white Y'07 handkerchiefs almost made me slightly weepy. Aunt Nancy and Rick came for the afternoon, so I gave them the tour of Davenport capped by a dinner at the Rusty Scupper. Meanwhile, my suitemates' various family members were trickling in. Meeting your friends' families is always so revealing -- the shared traits, passions and neuroses surface.

Monday, at last, brought Commencement proper. The campus took on a Hogwartsian flavor as the entire university assembled in dark and multicolored robes on Old Campus. We marched from Davenport to Cross Campus and kitty corner down the Green, then up through Phelps Gate -- and it was that moment, when the wide stone arch opened into the sea of multicolored robes, when I finally felt the real thrill. Our degrees were symbolically conferred, and then we marched back to our own college for individual recognition, diplomas, and prizes, as well as short speeches by the Master and Dean. The latter was especially moving, and like Zakaria's, seemed designed to foster openness in those with plans for the future, and reassurance to those without them. I liked that theme, since I have been feeling so boxed in this semester and need to be reminded that nothing needs to be set in stone right now. What is set in stone is that I am a Yale graduate, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, with distinction in the Archaeological Studies major. And nothing can change that.

I still can't believe that it's over. It hasn't sunk in at all. I never cried or really felt like it, at least not in the right way. It's probably impossible to get an adequate sense of closure for something like this when you're still stuck thinking you're going back. I'm home now. We almost missed our flight home from JFK, which was a bit stressful, but now I have a whole month to sort out my life...and my closet.