I can't get no.... graduation (or congregation as they like to call it here)

So its happened, the reason why we originally moved to another country, continent and culture happened and yesterday and I officially graduated. In general it was a good day, I enjoyed the process and ceremony of the whole day, it just had a nice pace to it. Durham's graduations (or congregation as they call them for some reason) happens in the cathedral, with the line up in the castle beforehand and then receptions being held in various departments across campus. It was a nice time to see friends I haven't in weeks, feel celebratory in the work we've done and enjoy company with each other. It ended with Meg and I being taken out to celebrate by my supervisor along with a PhD student of his and throughout the day I just had a nice time. But aside from the generally vague descriptions there were a couple of note worthy things happen and as such, I'll put them down as notes.
Read about my special day... well kind of special but not really special...
1) Academic robes/gowns make such much sense now! For years I thought that surely the academic regalia we are made to put on is primarily to make us like silly but on this graduation it made sense. England is always mildly cool/cold and as such when I wore my silly little gown and hood (which has to be in the running for the most misleading noun in English) I felt surprisingly comfortable. Since graduations normally happen in May (not January) I normally feel like I'm sweating buckets under the gown but for the first time, and probably the only time, I was actually happy to have the thing on.

2) When we lined up before processing into the cathedral, we did two interesting things. First we did a 'Durham rendition of the Mexican wave' (which I always knew as just 'the wave,' I've missed that apparently so far being over here) and the man leading our procession made us give three cheers for ourselves (with the full 'Hip, hip! Hooray!'). Awesome.

In the midst of the 'Durham/Mexican Wave'

3) I've now officially shaken Bill Bryson's hand. While I don't find this an overwhelming hono(u)r, especially since several other thousand people do each year, it was still kind of neat.

4) Before the service I was a 'graduand' (noun British. a student who is about to graduate or receive a degree) and after the service I was a 'graduate.'

Me and other graduates.

5) The Theology MA folks were lumped in with with Ministry MA folks (those who are pursuing ordination) and as such I just happened to be surrounded by them, with all but one of the in collars. At some stage I made an off hand reference to 'me and the clergy' to which they pointed out that I wasn't totally alone as he (I forget what his name was) wasn't ordained. He quickly pointed out, 'Oh no, I'm clergy as well, I just didn't come dressed as one.' As a non-clergy who has been through seminary, I found that hilarious.

6) Durham graduands don't wear the glorious little motar board hats. I asked around amongst some of the more senior University people I knew as to why (I had to wear the stupid things in high school for pete's sake but when I come to the origin of the things I don't anymore, what's with that?) and no one seemed to know. I heard origins of 'Health and Safety risks' to stories of when women were first admitted to the University the men protested and threw their caps into the river rather than wear them with women, but neither of those felt convincing. Finally after asking five individuals who had spent at least 20 years working for Durham I found out it was simply because alot of students weren't wearing them anymore. And since the Provost's office thought it would look better to have no hats rather than occasional hats, they canceled the practiced all together. A disappointing answer in the end... I was hoping for the river.

7) Durham's robes (perhaps all UK robes?) are different than those in the US and look much less let an unflattering dress or large and flashy bathrobe and more like something Dracula should wear. They don't button or zip and the sleeves stop at the elbow giving them almost cape like qualities.

Sure it's fuzzy but you still get the cape like effect of the sleeves.

All in all it was a good day. I'm glad I came to Durham, I felt proud to study here and to be part of this academic community. I've studied under some quite intelligent people so far but I was always so impressed with the faculty here. Also, Durham was recently ranked as the best theology department in the UK. A friend talks about it more here, but it made me proud to be part of this whole place. Glad we came.