Graduating to a best laid plan!

One of the difficult impositions that Covid-19 foisted on Tertiary institutions was the extent to which the Government quite properly restricted the size of gatherings and this impinged on the graduation ceremonies that are traditionally held around May each year.

IT was entirely reasonable for students to be aggrieved and to feel that they were being deprived of the recognition that comes with walking across the stage and for that magic moment, being the centre of attention for family and friends and those who had taught them.

I could understand the strength of feeling that went with this. While technically the successful completion of the programme and the confirmation of this on academic records, the real deal of walking across the stage, the actual “capping” and the applause are not easily forgotten. The delayed ceremonies when they are held are very special and in no way diminished – the special efforts of all concerned are sincerely meant.

My renown expertise from a technical point of view is well known, after all who else has spent an hour, in the early days of the lock-down last year, grappling with the ZOOM platform and becoming increasing challenged and frustrated but to no effect! Later I spoke to a colleague who had been at the meeting that I was so frustrated and by not being able to get into ZOOM for the meeting. He quietly smiled and said “No wonder, we were all on TEAMS!”

Well, another technical frustration occurred last week with a phone that simply gave up the ghost. The help of the Technical Lead at the retail store quickly had things under way so that the data could be transferred to a new phone. Alas, the old phone by now was exhausted and close to death. A trip across town sorted that out and the Technical Lead guy then could successfully complete the job!

While this was happening, I chatted to the Technical Lead and asked the question of him. I am always seeking to find out where they had been trained. It turned out that he had trained at Manukau Institute of Technology. I told him that I had just retired from MIT and the very next week those who missed their graduation because of Covid were having their graduation. A big smile preceded his saying “I shall be there, I am graduating at that ceremony.” Hands were shaken, great pleasure was expressed. Congratulations Paramvir Singh, Graduate from the School of Digital Technology at MIT. Capped this week – finally capped.