Saturday, May 26, 2007
Pomp up the Circumstance. Pomp it up.
Friday, May 18th, at 11AM in the Patriot Center, George Mason University College of Health and Human Services thought it right to bestow upon me a bachelor's of science in nursing (or as we like to abbreviate, a lot of B.S. about N.).
If I may sound so haughty, I already got some B.S. bestowed on my a few years ago. That's a lie, it was some B.A. Which isn't as funny to say. In any case, I felt that I had already paid my respects years ago to the gown and mortar board of the ceremony. So I decided to pay more honor and respect to my nursing ancestors and wear an honest-to-God nursing cap, complete with tassel. Years ago, a nursing student's school would have a "capping" ceremony. Each school had a cap that was unique to the institution and it was a big deal. They don't do that anymore. Probably because in the hospital caps are a cesspool of germs and grossness. With a little Encyclopedia Browning, I found out what the old George Mason cap used to look like and bought one as similar to it as I could. My infamous lab partner joined me and we braved the commencement line-ups hoping we wouldn't be booted for not being uniform with our fellow graduates.
Much to our surprise, the faculty loved it, we were commended for our creativity and nod to nursing tradition, and our classmates seethed with jealousy that they had not thought of something nearly so clever.
I don't know why the "thumbs up" pose has worked its way into my paradigm so much these days. But that nursing cap sure did make it easier for the family to find me. Oh, that and that I had my cellphone to call them.
Ahh, your humble student speaker gives her heartfelt speech about nursing with your brain, but also nursing with your heart. Nursing a body, but nursing a soul, too. Nursing a patient and nursing a community and the world.
Incidentally, why do graduation gowns + jumbotrons make everyone look like they've been eating nothing but cake for the last month?
The blur, given away by the white smear on top, is me getting a dean-love-hug on my diploma-getting-stage-walk.
Ah, my family. I don't know why we're standing in height order or why we've gone all 8th grade dance on you with boys on the right and girls on the left.
Lab partner Jenni complete with matching nursing cap. So she tells me, someone stopped her after the ceremony and said, "Now what's the significance of the white hat versus the green flat ones?" And then she fell asleep during the picture. Hey, better now than during my speech. Cause that might have hurt my feelings.
My bestie and digital photog. One of my biggest cheerleaders these past two years. You probably wish you had a bestie as bestie as mine. Good luck.
And finally, my dearest Betrothed who just bought himself a lifetime with a nurse. My biggest fan, my greatest support and my first congratulatory text message when I got back to my seat.
If I may sound so haughty, I already got some B.S. bestowed on my a few years ago. That's a lie, it was some B.A. Which isn't as funny to say. In any case, I felt that I had already paid my respects years ago to the gown and mortar board of the ceremony. So I decided to pay more honor and respect to my nursing ancestors and wear an honest-to-God nursing cap, complete with tassel. Years ago, a nursing student's school would have a "capping" ceremony. Each school had a cap that was unique to the institution and it was a big deal. They don't do that anymore. Probably because in the hospital caps are a cesspool of germs and grossness. With a little Encyclopedia Browning, I found out what the old George Mason cap used to look like and bought one as similar to it as I could. My infamous lab partner joined me and we braved the commencement line-ups hoping we wouldn't be booted for not being uniform with our fellow graduates.
Much to our surprise, the faculty loved it, we were commended for our creativity and nod to nursing tradition, and our classmates seethed with jealousy that they had not thought of something nearly so clever.
I don't know why the "thumbs up" pose has worked its way into my paradigm so much these days. But that nursing cap sure did make it easier for the family to find me. Oh, that and that I had my cellphone to call them.
Ahh, your humble student speaker gives her heartfelt speech about nursing with your brain, but also nursing with your heart. Nursing a body, but nursing a soul, too. Nursing a patient and nursing a community and the world.Incidentally, why do graduation gowns + jumbotrons make everyone look like they've been eating nothing but cake for the last month?
The blur, given away by the white smear on top, is me getting a dean-love-hug on my diploma-getting-stage-walk.
Ah, my family. I don't know why we're standing in height order or why we've gone all 8th grade dance on you with boys on the right and girls on the left.
Lab partner Jenni complete with matching nursing cap. So she tells me, someone stopped her after the ceremony and said, "Now what's the significance of the white hat versus the green flat ones?" And then she fell asleep during the picture. Hey, better now than during my speech. Cause that might have hurt my feelings.
My bestie and digital photog. One of my biggest cheerleaders these past two years. You probably wish you had a bestie as bestie as mine. Good luck.
And finally, my dearest Betrothed who just bought himself a lifetime with a nurse. My biggest fan, my greatest support and my first congratulatory text message when I got back to my seat.# posted by Cathy @ 8:57:00 PM 
