Rite of Passage

This past weekend, the small university where I have been teaching - in order to support my retirement "jet-set" lifestyle (LOL!) - held its annual commencement ceremony. The exercise was held at the Grand Hotel Kempinski in Geneva, formerly known as the Hilton or Noga-Hilton. There have been lots of changes over the past 18 years, which is as long as I have lived here.

There were 56 students in all: 24 undergraduates and another 22 graduates. Did I mention that the university is literally tiny? But what we lacked in quantity, we made up for in variety and internationalism. The students were from 30 different countries around the world. Some hailed from the Middle East; some from South and Central America; many came from Asia, even the South Pacific. Some came from Europe, particularly Central Europe and former SSRs that spanned both Europe and Asia. There were even a couple students from the United States among the graduate students.

We faculty members were dressed in red robes while the students wore black.  

Former Swiss President, Micheline Calmy-Rey, and current Secretary General of the Club of Rome, Ian Johnson, were the featured guest speakers. I was not adept at getting a frontal view of Ms Calmy-Rey, just  catching her as she was departing.

But I managed to catch Mr. Johnson amid the photographic flurry of parents and friends, after the ceremony

when both students 

and professors posed in the frame of Geneva's famed jet d'eau.

Our young female graduates appeared to outdo one another in footwear, although at times we feared for their safety as they teetered about, extremely glamorous, but very precarious.

Following the graduation ceremony and the photo ops, there was a reception at the hotel

where relieved students and their families could relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

That evening, we all returned to the hotel for a gala dinner and ball. Hurrah! The Class of 2012 has now officially been launched into the world - hopefully to find professional satisfaction and meaning in their young and hopeful lives.