Today was Alice's last ever day of teaching. So I wasn't going to let the day go unmarked, of course ... and gathered a little group who surprised her - really surprised her - jumping out of a classroom at her after she ended the final class, with disco balloons and flowers, and marched her off to the Art History Seminar Room, where champagne and wine and a hastily gathered assortment of snacks from TJs were consumed, and a Spotify playlist of Black Funk Disco put on, and her health drunk. I discovered yesterday that the Faculty Club would be closed - my original plan had been to go there - but this was much more fun, it turned out.
And jubilación is so much more sun as a word than the ominous Retirement, so I decided to go with the Spanish.
Of course, Alice still has grading to do, and her office to empty, and so on - but this, really, is It. More celebrations follow ...
Huge congratulations to Alice! A chapter closes, and a new one begins. I recognize some of the english dept faculty (they have a little more gray in their hair, otherwise unchanged...).
ReplyDeleteYes! Joe Boone - now retired himself, and the person who hired Alice back in 2024; Bill Handley; David St John, who was acting chair of Art History last year, so counted as an honorary member ...
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