Done
Yesterday morning I checked my email, checked the date, checked my memory, and then gave Bob Chapel a call. You see as I recalled, today was the final day for me to get my thesis in if I was going to graduate in ... oh, I guess it's next week by now, and here I was with no feedback yet on my latest thesis submisssion. Funnily enough, when I reached Bob at his office, he said he had just sent me an email. "Impossible, Bob. I just checked my email." No, no, he insisted. He had just sent it, as in had just hit "Send" when my call came in. So, he then urged me to look at the email while he told me what was in it. I love Bob.
The upshot was that (with some suggestions on how to increase clarity which he gave me right there over the phone) my latest thesis draft (now with extra sections of self-critique to keep you regular!!) was acceptable and that all that was left to do was get it printed as per UVA's instructions and signed and turned in.
Bang! My next call was to UVA's printing services, and I was off like a shot. I made it to printing services a little after 10 a.m. A little bit before 4:00 p.m. I was leaping over the last bureaucratic hurdle, painting the last piece of tape red.
So that's it. I now have a Master of Fine Arts in Directing Theatre from the University of Virginia ... and truth be told, I'm kind of stoked about it. I know a graduate degree is no proof of talent or judgement ... trust me, I know that a graduate depgree is no proof of talent or judgement. I mean, look at me. I have a graduate degree ... but I'm still kind of tickled to be able to say that if only because I didn't think I ever thought I would. I mean, sure higher ed has its scammy side (UVA's various rules of submission sucked $56 out of my pocket all told, with little overall benefit to me as far as I could tell.) but now ... I have a shot at being a scammer instead of a scamee! I know, I know, it's morally reprehensable. But it's a hard world and I never claimed to be nothing but a weak man ... 'cept now I'm a week man with a Master's degree. Tee Hee!
The upshot was that (with some suggestions on how to increase clarity which he gave me right there over the phone) my latest thesis draft (now with extra sections of self-critique to keep you regular!!) was acceptable and that all that was left to do was get it printed as per UVA's instructions and signed and turned in.
Bang! My next call was to UVA's printing services, and I was off like a shot. I made it to printing services a little after 10 a.m. A little bit before 4:00 p.m. I was leaping over the last bureaucratic hurdle, painting the last piece of tape red.
So that's it. I now have a Master of Fine Arts in Directing Theatre from the University of Virginia ... and truth be told, I'm kind of stoked about it. I know a graduate degree is no proof of talent or judgement ... trust me, I know that a graduate depgree is no proof of talent or judgement. I mean, look at me. I have a graduate degree ... but I'm still kind of tickled to be able to say that if only because I didn't think I ever thought I would. I mean, sure higher ed has its scammy side (UVA's various rules of submission sucked $56 out of my pocket all told, with little overall benefit to me as far as I could tell.) but now ... I have a shot at being a scammer instead of a scamee! I know, I know, it's morally reprehensable. But it's a hard world and I never claimed to be nothing but a weak man ... 'cept now I'm a week man with a Master's degree. Tee Hee!
posted by - caj at 8:40 AM
3 Comments:
Congratulations, Clinton! Did you hear a trumpet fanfare as you left the graduate student office? Did the troll behind the desk who checked your margins give you a big hug? Were you able to feel the precise nanosecond when the thesis left your control and fluttered off like a newly emerged butterfly?
Am impressive achievement. Savor it. We're proud of you.
Congratulations, you old sodomite! I knew you could do it!
I say, get yourself one of them nifty magnetic signs for your car that says, "I am truly a MASTER of the fine arts!"
How come you never told me you had a blog? I'll be watching, my friend, I'll be watching very closely from now on.
Congratulations to you!
I'm very pleased that you've done your time and have yet another well-earned degree and (more importantly) the experiences to back it up.
Have you considered a couple little thank you notes to those who besought you and aided your glorious mastery? - and I don't mean shlubs like me!
Though i of course utterly lack collegiate experience, I do suspect there is a lot to be said for some courtesy thankye butt-kissing of those in power. A little note from a good writer and some hearty thanks - very satisfying. :)
Get down with your bad self.
:)Lee
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