RIT has offered all kinds of orientation activities for both the freshmen and for their parents. Today, that all winds down. The last parent activity is Convocation. I sneak away from work to attend, wanting to see how they hold their convocation. Drew is surprised that I want to come, and happy because he forgot his phone charger and desperately needs it!
How unusual to sit in the bleachers and look out over a sea of brown tee-shirted students who are whooping and hollering and doing waves. There is a palpable excitement in the air. Faculty have stood outside and high-fived students as they entered the field house. The huge jumbotron shows us everything, even activity that is too far away to be seen. As well, the close captioning scrolls along with sometimes humorous interpretations of what is being said. There are live interpreters on raised platforms all throughout the building.
Most of what is presented feels like a huge pep rally. The platform party consists of the deans of the 8 or 9 schools, the president and provost and a few others. They tell students that they have been given the opportunity of a lifetime and that if they don't take advantage of it, they might as well go home now and let someone else become a world force to be reckoned with. They are told that they will graduate with a desirable benefit of resources in their faculty and friends who will continue to help them succeed all their lives. They are urged not to throw away this gift by getting involved with alcohol or drugs. They show videos of the social events that will happen throughout the year. We know how to work, and we know how to have fun.
Yeah! Have a blast. And when all is said and done, go get a great job because we have a 95%+ placement rate right out of college. I am inspired! After they are dismissed, I stand up in the bleacher and look for Drew in the sea of students milling about. I figure if I just stay put, he will find me, and he does. Thanks for the phone charger, gotta go. Love ya, having a great time. See you later. Wow - OK. I am not concerned about you being homesick, that's for sure. Now to go enjoy my own freedom.
How unusual to sit in the bleachers and look out over a sea of brown tee-shirted students who are whooping and hollering and doing waves. There is a palpable excitement in the air. Faculty have stood outside and high-fived students as they entered the field house. The huge jumbotron shows us everything, even activity that is too far away to be seen. As well, the close captioning scrolls along with sometimes humorous interpretations of what is being said. There are live interpreters on raised platforms all throughout the building.
Most of what is presented feels like a huge pep rally. The platform party consists of the deans of the 8 or 9 schools, the president and provost and a few others. They tell students that they have been given the opportunity of a lifetime and that if they don't take advantage of it, they might as well go home now and let someone else become a world force to be reckoned with. They are told that they will graduate with a desirable benefit of resources in their faculty and friends who will continue to help them succeed all their lives. They are urged not to throw away this gift by getting involved with alcohol or drugs. They show videos of the social events that will happen throughout the year. We know how to work, and we know how to have fun.
Yeah! Have a blast. And when all is said and done, go get a great job because we have a 95%+ placement rate right out of college. I am inspired! After they are dismissed, I stand up in the bleacher and look for Drew in the sea of students milling about. I figure if I just stay put, he will find me, and he does. Thanks for the phone charger, gotta go. Love ya, having a great time. See you later. Wow - OK. I am not concerned about you being homesick, that's for sure. Now to go enjoy my own freedom.
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