Fall Convocation

This morning I attended the "Fall Convocation" — a formal start to the new academic year here, addressed by the Chancellor (equivalent to a South African Vice Chancellor, as far as I can tell — i.e. the executive head of the university). The convocation was held in the main auditorium of the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts — a very grand 1800-seat theatre on campus. The proceedings were opened and closed by the university's orchestra. It was an interesting event as UC Davis is entering its centennial year, commemorating its origins as an agricultural college in 1908 (the students are still referred to as "Aggies" — c.f. Rhodents!). The Chancellor spoke very well, referring to the history of the university, and was clearly quite emotional as it is his last year before he retires. I really enjoyed his passion and his very evident care for the people who make up this (and any other) university. There were five other speakers who represented a good cross-section of the university and who reflected on their experiences and the past 100 years of institutional history under the theme of "A Century of Doing What Matters".

Of course, there is another wierd symmetry for me here too, after Rhodes celebrated its centenary just a few years ago (in 2004), as Dave Woods was nearing the end of his tenure as Vice Chancellor.