Monthly Archives: May 2012

1:15 PM I am the only passenger in the airport. Actually, calling it an airport seems a bit overgenerous. In the pre-security waiting area at Tweed New Haven Regional Airport, there are 22 seats, plus 8 more by the inactive … Continue reading →

Today was my parents’ annual Memorial Day picnic, which doubled as a surprisingly complete graduation party, including banners, table centerpieces, cake, and even a few (appreciated but certainly not necessary) gifts. It was a lot of work, in a much … Continue reading →

The morning after commencement, my parents and I packed up the campsite in my living room and headed off for some Quality Family Time. We had planned a celebratory vacation by enumerating, evaluating, and eliminating just about every tour destination … Continue reading →

It looks like I’m flying to Seattle on Tuesday for a meeting of sorts, and flying back on Thursday. This is pretty exciting; I’ve never been to Seattle before, or to the state of Washington, or to any of the … Continue reading →

At Harvard commencement today, the booklet on every seat contained the following gem. History of Commencement The word ‘Commencement’ conveys the meaning of the Latin Inceptio, a term used in the Middle Ages to describe the ceremony… ‘Commencement’ is indeed … Continue reading →

I think it’s finally over. I got an e-mail today (Thursday) that said, in its entirety Dear Benjamin Schwartz, Congratulations. Your submission, 10431 has cleared all of the necessary checks and will soon be delivered to ProQuest/UMI for publishing. Regards, … Continue reading →

It ain’t over ’til it’s over. Yesterday I got a note back from the Registrar of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences. They informed me that my dissertation could not be accepted because the abstract was not double-spaced, my … Continue reading →

On Friday, at the last possible moment before racing off to prepare for the VoiceLab concert, I officially submitted my dissertation. I spent the week following my defense implementing my committee’s suggestions by improving the text throughout, and adding four … Continue reading →

On Friday I defended by dissertation, formally ending my career as a student. Now it’s Monday, after 9 PM, and somehow I’m still in lab, writing my dissertation. I’m lucky to be more easily amused than consternated by these sorts … Continue reading →

Yesterday, I was a Ph.D. candidate. Today I am something else. By tradition, I am entitled to use the title of “Dr.”, but cannot claim the Ph.D. until commencement three weeks from now. You could say I’m ABC, although there … Continue reading →