This past Saturday, Allison Susan Ling graduated from the University of Prince Edward Island. The Chancellor conferred upon her the degree of Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English " ... with all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto.".
(This, she claims, entitles her to correct other peoples' spelling and grammar. I hope she does not become too drunk with that power - people who are always correcting other peoples' spelling and grammar quickly become tiresome.)
As you can see from the picture, it was a day of sober contemplation and quiet reflection for Allison.
Incidently, as long as I'm in full-on proud braggart mode, let me just mention that she was presented with the W.B.Yeats Award, which is given each year to an English major or honours student with a minimum grade average of 80% who has contributed significantly to the intellectual and social life of the Department. The award, of course is named for a famous poetry guy, Yeats (in some countries, this is pronounced "Keats").
Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
- W.B. Yeats
Congratulations to Allison! Yes, I can see how she eschewed the madding crowds and opted for the silent medidation route! I often wish I could go back to college and major in something else. The youthful anticipation for the road ahead is so evident in her face.
Posted by: wordgirl | May 15, 2006 at 10:33 AM
A foin lookin lassie, meboy. Brains and beauty - look out world!
Show 'em what ya got, Allison - never back up, never apologize and never let them see you afraid! Rock on and congrats - what a great milestone in your life.
(Nils, we share your pride)
Posted by: Craig Willson | May 15, 2006 at 01:09 PM
That is a horrible, horrible picture. I swear I don't have a double chin in real life!
Posted by: Allie | May 15, 2006 at 03:43 PM
Suck it up, Grinnie McChuckleson ... you're gawgeous.
Posted by: Nils | May 15, 2006 at 07:22 PM
Allison... the Yeats Award, what an impressive honour! Congratulations to you, and I look forward to reading your first published edition of "The Truth About Fathers"
;)
Posted by: Laura | May 15, 2006 at 08:09 PM
Congrats to Allie!
(And speaking of correcting grammar....Isn't "people" already plural? So shouldn't it be "people's spelling and grammar"? Or is this one of those weird Canadian things? Or have I just filled my brain with too much pathophysiology, thus pushing my own grammar skills out the other ear?)
Posted by: Ern | May 15, 2006 at 09:03 PM
Ern ... the "'s" simply adds the possessive. People can be both pural and singular, as in "The Aztecs, as a people, were hideously oppressed by the Spaniards ..." and "Five people walked into a bar". So in this case, correcting peoples' grammar and people's grammar are equally correct. I think. but maybe we can find some English major to confirm that.
Posted by: Nilbo | May 15, 2006 at 09:22 PM
Woo-hoo! Congrats Allison! And, of course, to the proud dad!
Posted by: Squirl | May 15, 2006 at 09:41 PM
I'm an English major, and I agree with Ern. Because, in this case, "people" is being used in the bar sense and not the Aztec one. But whatever, I could be wrong. Anyway, it's beside the point...
CONGRATULATIONS to super-smart, super-cute Allie!!! You rock, girl.
(Back to being beside the point. "Yeats" looks like "Teats". That Y is practically a T!)
Posted by: kalki | May 16, 2006 at 01:55 AM
Allison
Congrats...your image in the photo seems vaguely familiar to me..
Reminds me of someone(s) I went to high school with.. hmm... just can't seem to put my finger on it at the moment...
Posted by: Jim Fogg | May 16, 2006 at 10:42 AM
How wonderful that a proud Papa can share his happiness with the world via a blog. What a beauty!
I'm referring to Allison although Papa ain't that bad either ;-)
Posted by: marybishop | May 16, 2006 at 01:03 PM
Congratulations to Allison, her Great Auntie Marge would have been so proud, as my mom she always corrected my spelling and grammar while it was annoying it benefited me greatly and I do believe she did pass that talent on to a cousin of mine....and he is completely annoying. (just kidding)
Eleanor
Posted by: Eleanor Heidelberg (Crum) | May 17, 2006 at 11:49 PM
Congrats to Allison! And you!
PS My favourite poem of all time is "In Memory of WB Yeats" by Auden.
Posted by: amy | May 18, 2006 at 08:21 PM
Hmm... Allison purportedly corrects others spelling and grammar... intriguing....Is there some kind of family haunting involved here? Does Allison's Great Aunt Margie have a hand in all this? Her Great Aunt Margie, who would correct anyone, anywhere, if they dared dangle a participle or split an unlucky infinitive? Your Great Aunt Marge was happy and proud of your accomplishments, just as she enjoyed your father's. Kudos to you, kiddo, and all the best in the future.
Your dad's cousin Karin
(Yikes, should the apostrophe for fathers come before after the s?)
Posted by: karin kreuzkamp | February 13, 2007 at 12:28 AM
Gute Arbeit hier! Gute Inhalte.
Posted by: fussball | March 02, 2009 at 08:47 AM