Last blog message:  June 18, 2012

 In my last message I promised a note to our readers about what the first commencement at AUIS was like.  This message is a fulfillment of that promise. 

 AUIS staged its first ever undergraduate commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 16.  It was held on the plaza outside the main administrative building.  The announced time of starting was 5:30, with an actual planned time of 6:00 p.m. The 30 minute discrepancy between stated and planned time was to accommodate the local habit of showing up late for whatever event is being planned, and the planning worked.  Had we tried to start at 5:30 many people would not have been there.  The other local wisdom is that the more important the person, the later he will arrive, and this too was played out.  No further comment.

 The weather was beastly hot – about 115 degrees Fahrenheit.  By the starting time of 6:00 p.m. it was cooling off a bit and there was a breeze, but it was mostly blowing around hot air.   With a couple of hiccups out of the way we processed into the venue to Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance: stage party first, followed by faculty, followed by students.  When the faculty were led to their reserved places, they discovered that a group of faculty from a nearby university were sitting in the AUIS faculty seats.  These guests would not move as, I was told, to do so would be a sign of dishonor. So they stayed in “our” seats and the last six AUIS faculty had to find seats scattered among the other VIPs.  The unfortunate student who had been charged with getting us to the seating area and out of there at the end was completely confused.  He came to me, in the middle of the speeches, to ask what he should do.  We got things worked out.  Then another student usher, charged with responsibility of getting the stage party away from the stage, came to me with a question based on the fact that certain key members of the stage party refused to be in a line of march.  We had worked out many details, but none of us expected this turn of events.  Again, we got it worked out, even as the speeches were being delivered.  At times, we were just making up the rules as we went along, but apparently it did not appear that way to others as I had several people, even those who had attended commencement ceremonies in the States, tell me later that the ceremony went together well.

 I wish I could say the same of the speeches.   Two local dignitaries spoke, and both chose to deliver their speeches in Arabic, Kurdish and English.  While I admire that kind of facility with language, the multiple translations of speeches that would be considered long even when delivered in one language stretched out the length of the program considerably, especially considering the fact that there were also speeches by the president of AUIS, and by the invited commencement speaker from the US.   Four speeches by “adults”.  Ugh.  Whatever happened to the virtue of brevity?  Then there were two shorter speeches by graduates, one by a representative of the MBA class, and one by a representative of the baccalaureate grads.   By far the best speech of the evening was delivered by the undergraduate student named Kurdistan Fatih.   She was prepared and she was passionate about what she said.  With all the speeches, a ceremony that should have lasted no more than one hour, ended up lasting closer to two hours. 

 The highlight of the event was seeing the students receive their diplomas.  They were joyful beyond description.  They seemed to sense the moment:  the first ever AUIS baccalaureate degree recipients. 

After the reception we met the families of two students with whom we have been especially close:   Kurdistan (see above) and Peshawa. 

Kurdy already has a job in the accounting department of a local business.  Peshawa will shortly be leaving for the US to attend Syracuse University on an all expenses paid master’s program.  He comes from a family in which neither his father nor his mother is literate.  What a change in one generation!

 The last of the graduation events was a party for the grads and their family and friends on the night following graduation.  This party was in the form of a traditional Kurdish dance like those we have attended in the past:  they announce a starting time of 6, start showing up at 7 and begin in earnest around 8; start the music, do a lot of dancing, take a break while the food is served, and then continue dancing until midnight.  Carolyn and I lasted until 10 p.m., long enough to celebrate with them and to say our goodbyes.  Some students came attired in their finest Kurdish traditional clothing.  Some of the women, who chose not to dress in Kurdish clothing, wore party dresses that, in their brevity, stood in stark contrast to the idea of the modestly covered female that we associate with areas of the world where Islam is the predominant religion.  What a fascinating culture to live in!  Party photo of the graduating classes of February and June is below.

Many more pictures are available at:  https://picasaweb.google.com/110654129069574667039/AmericanUniversityOfIraqSulaimaniGraduationActivities#

We have three more days here in Sulaimani before we leave early on the morning of June 21.  In this time we will have dinner with some students and with a faculty colleague.  I have cleaned out my desk, turned in my university-issued computer, keys, and ID card, and I have picked up my last paycheck .  How could I have guessed that a commitment to two semesters of teaching  in 2009 would lead to three and then to four and that they would loom larger in my imagination than many of my previous experiences as professor and administrator?  What an experience! 

As always, thanks for reading.