Sunday May 18, 2003: Helen gets her Ph.D.
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Pre-hooding |
It
took 1 marriage,
2 countries,
3 degrees,
much 4 thought,
6 years,
7 different households,
185 pages of thesis, and
3000 miles
of driving to get to Helen's Ph.D.
graduation ceremony.
So this wasn't a good day to sleep in, eh?
Helen thrashing the sidewalk
on the way to ceremony.
See how very happy she looks
that we woke up at 8:40
for a 9:00am ceremony.
Thankfully, the ceremony started
in relaxed WV time. We got there
and everyone was still having coffee
before getting started. Here's
Helen's name
on the program.
Helen, Cathy Gouge (center),
and Cheryl Torsney (the
deputy assistant provost
who mows our lawns).
Helen getting advice on how
to wear her first robe from
a man who was worn many:
Tim Sweet.
The other Kiwi to graduate
today with a Ph.D.
today
was Eddie (Edward Christie). While
Helen speeds around on Internet
highways, Eddy strolls with the
old-English.
And the other graduand of note: Barbie!
A Congrats! bouquet
from Helen's family in New Zealand.
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Getting Hooded |
Helen's supervisor, Bob Markley, wrote this speech for Helen's
graduation:
"One of my former teachers, the late
Shakespearean scholar Harriet Hawkins,
once remarked that if she ever stopped learning from
her students, she would know it was time to retire. If the amount I've
learned from Helen during the past six years is any indication, I will be teaching for many, many decades to come.
"Helen's
dissertation brilliantly brings together analyses of the Interstate
Highway system and what she calls "the highways of the mind"- those
autobahns and byways of cyberspace that have become a crucial part of our
culture.
"As a native of New Zealand, Helen brings to the study of American
culture a fresh eye and a keen intelligence. As her collaborator on
the DVD-ROM Red Planet as well as her teacher, I have benefited
from her dedication, her humor, and her ability to offer penetrating
insights into topics ranging from cyberspace to science fiction.
WVU as a community has benefited enormously as well and we wish
her the best of luck (though she'll hardly need it) with her career as
a teacher and a scholar."
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Flashing the colors |
Like my mother never said,
if you got it, flaunt it.
Work it baby, work it!
Observe the magnificent mane of
the hooded Homo Phdicus.
Creatures of color move in packs:
Helen with Pat Conner.
More hanging with the colored ones:
Helen with Dennis Allen.
Dennis suggested that, like
all successful WVU teams,
we should now go and pull
down the goal posts.
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Hoods need cars |
All members of gangs need a good set
of wheels.
Helen with Darwin.
Helen won't be seen dead
in a car without a degree.
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Later that day |
Meg Dimsa got her degree the
same day, at a different ceremony.
So we went round and joined their
tail-gating party.
Darn,
Meg's parents can
put on a FINE feast.
Meg and Helen toasting.
Meg and Helen, several toasts later.
Meg and Helen, after yet more toasts.
The very cool Jeannie Hamming.
The most excellent Daniel Tripp.
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And finally |
A speech at the graduation ceremony urged us all to
only sing the wisest of songs and that we must
be prepared to make an account of our
days.
Okkie dokkie!
Woman with hood surveying her future.
Woman with hood raises flaps
and commences to fly.