Last night the students at the college where I work hosted an event they call "The Emmys". It's sort of a mock Oscars with somewhat silly categories and a few serious ones. Some of the categories were "Do they still go to school here?" - this one is for students who students never see but they hear are supposed to be in class; another category was for faculty members titled, "I still have 3 minutes left" for those professors who are always pushing for more lecture time. It was fun and worth attending. Being a very small college we certainly have our perks of close community and I thoroughly enjoy getting out and about with the students relishing their quick wit and ability to enjoy their time of play. I sat among of few of these very intelligent and witty beings.
One of the highlights of the evening for me was the times they took to seriously honor a few people. The evening was dedicated to Katie, one of our beloved students who passed away this past February, leaving us all in awe of her strength and then also tearfully sending off one of the favorite faculty members to another university which is much closer to his immediate family (I will mention he came with his entire family: 4 young boys and beautiful wife). The students affirmed his decision while still letting him know they would all miss him and his distinctive manner of teaching and interaction. His peers will miss him, too.
The mixture of laughter and solemnity during the event was so reflective of how life truly works on a bigger scale or any scale for that matter. I am so appreciative of the ability to guffaw with gusto (as both my assistant deans do in our suite of offices) and the equal ability to be sad when such circumstances demand. I am honored to be able to experience being both happy and sad - truthfully one without other might lessen the impact of either. Think about that.
No comments:
Post a Comment