Our junior journalist LR recently attended her partner’s graduation ceremony, where he received his Medicine degree at St. Janskerk. There were snacks, drinks and a photographer to capture the joyful occasion. The graduates wore caps and gowns, which I heard were a gift from the faculty. In two weeks, LR herself will officially receive her master’s degree in Media Culture in the Turnzaal on Grote Gracht – also a special venue, but she’ll have to purchase her own cap and gown.
Final grade
This got us wondering about the various graduation ceremonies taking place around this time. Does UM offer the same type of celebration for every student who has earned the required credits? Our junior journalist is looking into it. First impression: no, there are significant differences. But drinks, it seems, are always provided.
That’s more than we had in my day. After I passed my oral exam on my philosophy thesis (for which I wore a new outfit bought for the occasion), my family and friends were invited into the nicely furnished room in Nijmegen to hear my final grade and listen to a speech by my supervisor. No drinks were offered, though. Instead, we headed back to my student house to celebrate. But it could’ve been even more minimal; some fifteen years later, my stepdaughter received her philosophy degree from the University of Amsterdam in a back room with cardboard boxes stacked against the wall. It looked like the cleaner hadn’t been there for quite some time, either. Quite disheartening indeed. Thankfully, the celebration afterwards, paid for by the newly minted graduate and her family, was no less enjoyable for it.
Trends in student life
On a different note: in our recent Monday meetings, I’ve been hearing colleagues discuss new trends in student life – running clubs popping up everywhere; improperly parked bikes being flipped upside down; students carrying around oversized drinking cups with straws. Not everything is worth writing about, but the running boom is. LR, an avid runner herself, tagged along with three fast-growing clubs to witness the fun, the selfies and the outfits firsthand. And to hear “how to make running sexy”.