Here are a few — only a few — of the photos from our triumphant day in St Cloud.
This is Alaric trying on those funny academic robes. If he had to wear them every day, like I do, he wouldn’t be laughing so hard. (You do know that we professors wear these things all the time, right?)
Here’s that wonderful instant when President Saigo handed him his cardboard folder with the generic (but magical!) promise of a real, live diploma inside. It’s kind of like Uncle Milton’s Ant Farm, which doesn’t actually contain any ants, but does have a coupon so you can mail off for some.
I know, it’s a horrible picture. They position parents so they can’t possibly get a good shot, so that you’ll have to buy the photos the professional photographer there is selling.
Now look at that personable, cheerful, and good-looking college graduate. You want to give him a job, don’t you? Please?
One of the speakers mentioned that Minnesota will graduate about 33,000 college students this year. That was not something the parents wanted to hear.
Son #2, Connlann, has a few more years to go, and Daughter #1, Skatje, should be done a year or two after that. Then we’re completely free, right? Right?
Congradulations to everyone. I have three in college and am envious.
I have been wondering about something for some time. What do you think is behind all this anti-evolution frenzy? I mean I know they are trying to make political hay and all but what else?
I understand their anti-abortion thing, these powerful white men need to keep women in line and enslaved.
I understand No Child Left Behind, it is meant to discredit public education so it can be privatized.
I understand their debacle in running the government, they want to convince everyone government is a bad thing so they are ruining it.
But what is the sceme behind their evolution/ID preoccupation?
An observation …
A joyish occasion has occurred and I have noticed that people want to use this time push their own divisive political opinions front and center …
give it a break for one day will yea…
cheers to your boy PZ … he will do you proud…
Congratulations to Alaric!
Um, is Alaric named after Alaric I (the Visigoth who sacked Rome) or after Alaric the Mad, “a master dwarven rune smith in the Warhammer Fantasy realm” (I looked up Alaric in wikipedia and this is one of the disambiguation choices)-? I doubt he’s named after the HMS Alaric, a U.K. submarine named after something and built in 1946-!.
And, there’s a splendid riff on professors’ sartorial options with robes by William Golding (of Lord of the Flies fame) in his collected essays THE HOT GATES (the title alludes to Thermopylae). I posted part of it a few months ago but don’t have it handy now.
Sigh, it’s always tough when the squidlets leave the clutch. Or when the protostars ignite fusion and photodissociate their globules.
And we all hope he gets a good job, despite his father. Maybe in a real discipline, like astronomy.
He’s named after the Visigoth, of course. When you see little babies, don’t you immediately think of fierce destructive warlords who will topple great civilizations? Man, you should have known him when he had the colic.
Well, Phil, if you think someone with a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics is qualified to replace a mere astronomer, maybe I should send him off to take over your old job. Or maybe NASA needs a liberal version of George Deutsch?
I send congratulations, not to PZ, who had perhaps a small part in this. Let’s say genetically and financially. But to his son who actually did all of the work. Job well done, Alaric.
And, well… nice genes PZ and wife. ;)
I admire PZ’s ability to give his children good pagan names. Especially after seeing this:
http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/
*gag*
Congratulations to Alaric! And to his proud and long-suffering parents.
When you see little babies, don’t you immediately think of fierce destructive warlords who will topple great civilizations?
Yes.
Except usually the fierce destructive warlords are cuter. (I mean, have you seen babies?! Give ’em cigars, and they could all be Winston Churchill…)
Congrats to Alaric, first and foremost, and to his (invariably) longsuffering parents second.
hey, when I left home, my parents had enough extra disposable income to completely renovate their house! What’s your plan?
Congratulation Alaric (and as other have mentioned the family Myers genes, environment and finances).
Political science and economics eh? Hmmmm. I take it that unlike your current head of state he has earned his qualifications rather than bought them with daddy’s cash. Therefore let me be the first to say: Alaric for President!
Louis
Re #3.
There’s nothing wrong with naming your children after submarines!
I also send my congratulations. Unfortunately, they’re completely nonredeemable…and laced with venom. Delicious, hand-milked Hapalochlaena venom. Only the best.
Dustin: I’ll see your *gag* and raise you a *blecchh patooey*. Did you happen to glance at the “top” 50 list? Scroll down to #43 for girls. You might want to bring a bucket.
Congratulations, future President Alaric.
On the subject of interesting names, my wife holds that her unusual first and last names helped build a strong character. Sometimes I tease that she married me for my uncommon last name. From that SSA site, I see that John is steadily falling in popularity and thus rising in stature.
Meanwhile Angel (male), ranked at 31, and Jesus, at 74, are climbing up the chart! Up here in the great white north, Latinos are somewhat rare, so I’ve never met an Angel or Jesus. Heh.
Congraduations! ;-)
Giving your kids unusual names does help to disambiguate them from their peers… In school I was frequently one of 3-5 Daves, even in classes of 30 kids.
Political science and economics, eh? Perfect undergraduate work to become a lawyer. Don’t worry … it’s only three more years …
Congratulations all around.
For years, everyone who visited my brother in Cleveland would be dragged along to explore the Cod, an old submarine moored in Lake Erie. I joked with him more than once that he would christen his firstborn Cod in its honor. His response was to look around furtively as if his wife might be nearby, and whisper that the name was indeed on his list.
Congrats to you AND Alric!
There’s nothing wrong with naming your children after submarines!
…true, and 33 milliseconds after I posted I’d realized the potential connections with PZ’s cephalapod fixations … but no, unlike the Alvin, the HMS Alaric didn’t offer much for interaction with denizens of the deep. Just boring old sonar and high explosives.
(OT: has the US Navy respected its early corrective memo not to name any of its city-named nuclear-armed subs after Corpus Christi, Texas? Seemed a bit ironic even to brass – once it was pointed out to them.)
Back on topic, the wikipedia on Alaric I notes “Alaric, whose name means literally “everyone’s king”…” – so yeah, Alaric for President! (Though by the time he’s 35 king may be accurate too.)
You wear robes? Here we have a prof who wears ratty jeans and a Mickey Mouse t-shirt that has holes in it and pit stains.
I didn’t know you taught at Hogwarts!
Congratulations Alaric, may you find similar success in all your endeavors.
Well, Thanks for the congradulations everyone. I somehow doubt I will be running for president anytime soon, I would be more than happy to get this job as a political consultant with the District 15 DFL. After that I’m looking at grad school (probably for public policy) My number one choice was the George Washington School for Political Management, which is also the college with the highest tuition in the country and in an area of the country with one of the highest cost of living… so unless I can come up with 50k a semester and somehow live with the idea of me going to a private college it seems to be out of the question.