[Leica] Nathan's PAD 13/9/2017: ceremony

[Nathan Wajsman]

This is the first week of classes at the University of Alicante, and on Wednesday the official opening of the new academic year took place in the auditorium of the university. Why was I there? Because the Executive Director of our office was getting an honorary degree as part of the ceremony, so I was invited to attend along with the rest of the management team of the office. There are certain invitations you do not refuse, and this was one of those cases. So I spent 3 hours in a chair, listening to speeches, partly in Valenciano, partly in standard Spanish, wishing that I were somewhere else ;-) But at least one could take pictures, so it was not a total waste of time.

The auditorium just before things start:
http://www.greatpix.eu/All/Picture-A-Day/i-kPXRhdP/A

The great and the good march in, dressed in funny clothes. This lady is a professor in the law school, I think:
http://www.greatpix.eu/All/Picture-A-Day/i-pRzxGc3/A

I have no idea who he is but I found his expression amusing:
http://www.greatpix.eu/All/Picture-A-Day/i-8nrPDbc/A

The professor from the second image is giving the speech explaining why the university decided to award our boss an honorary doctorate:
http://www.greatpix.eu/All/Picture-A-Day/i-mzjffBJ/A

The rector magnifico (president) of the university places a funny hat on the head of our boss:
http://www.greatpix.eu/All/Picture-A-Day/i-L7GM3tD/A

This was the culmination of the ceremony. After this image, our boss gave a nice, personal speech, which was then followed by two utterly useless speeches by a local politician and the rector of the university. And then we were released.

To put things in perspective: when I got my PhD from the University of Florida in 1991, I did not bother attending the ceremony. I just picked up the diploma a few days later from an office at the university. The only graduation of mine that I have attended was my high school graduation in Denmark in 1979 and I was not entirely sober on that occasion. I have attended my children’s various graduations, though, mostly for their sake.

Cheers,
Nathan (who is not into ceremonies unless they involve Liverpool FC winning a trophy)

Nathan Wajsman
Alicante, Spain
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