A poem about colors

I was going to enter this poem into a contest about colors; but the deeper I got, the more expensive it got. So, I'm sharing for free...

I AM NOT PINK
I am not pink,
No never pink.
It is frilly and frosty and everything I am not.
Unless I decide to be,
In the moments I choose to speak out.

I am not red.
No, never red.
It is blood, and violence, and control.
Unless it is the heart of my partner,
Cut from sugar paper and strung together with love.

I am not orange,
No never orange.
It is advertising, sales, and point of purchase displays.
Unless it is the tang that lingers on my fingers
Long after the segments and skin are gone.

I am not yellow,
No, never yellow.
It is glaring, insipid, and sour.
Unless it is the running of a creamy yolk,
Or the wood of my favorite pencil in motion.

I am not green,
No, never green.
It is garish, acidic, and ill.
Unless it is the stained glass canopy of leaves,
Shifting against the summer sun over my head.

I am not blue,
No, never blue.
It is sadness, and drowning, and tears.
Unless it is the sea meeting the sky,
Like lovers kept apart, touching just at the edges.

I am not purple,
No never purple.
It is loud and brash and in your face,
Unless it is the attitude I embrace
When I no longer care what you think.

I am none of these colors,
No, not me.
I am the colors in between,
The shades, the tints, the tones,
The rainbow of the spectrum gathered to form a greater good—
The greater me.

WU Graduation Ceremony

We actually had an in-person graduation ceremony at Winthrop this year! Granted, it was in an enormous space with social distancing and masks...But it still had the pomp and circumstance, and students walked the stage to accept their diplomas (one of the benefits of being a smaller university).Faculty sat way up behind the stage so that we could see the ceremony, but still save room for all the students' family members. Here I am with Karen O. and Myles C. It was the first time I got to wear my own regalia officially - check out the fuschia! This is the PhD robe for my discipline at the University of Glasgow! (Sadly, our summer ceremony has already been cancelled, so this is sort of my celebration too.)We all wore our proper regalia; although the rule for Glasgow is that our robes should be worn "carelessly" - HA! Here I am with Wanda E. and Karen O. again.Did you notice my pink nails? I am so not a pink person, but I am embracing it with my new robes!
     After the ceremony, it is so fun to walk through the crowd of students and parents. People are crying and hugging and smiling, and the energy is just SO GOOD!!!That might be my favorite part. Or is it when families cheer? Or when some of the kids stomp while receiving their diploma? I don't know - it's all simply WONDERFUL!!! And so much better IN PERSON!!!

Reconnecting post-Covid

It's been so fun seeing people reconnecting on facebook who have been forced apart for so long. But it was even better doing some reconnecting myself! I went to my first in-person party last weekend - full of fellow faculty, staff, and friends from Winthrop U. Everyone had been vaccinated and we were outside. We couldn't resist this one, wonderful group shot. What a JOY it was to be with people/friends again!!!

An unexpected award - OMG!!!

I am in tears! I just learned this wonderful news from my university:

Dr. Elizabeth Dulemba, Associate Professor of Design, has been selected by students to be awarded the 20-21 Excellence in Academic Advising Award.
This award is for a faculty member who has demonstrated exemplary advising skills. This is a special award in that the nominations come directly from the students.

Some quotes from students describing Professor Dulemba:
• Always there to help inside and outside of class.
• Checks up on students and goes above and beyond to help when they are struggling.
• Extremely knowledgeable about degree requirements.
• Readily available to advise or talk and listens carefully to make sure students are heard.
• Helped reduce the stress added from this past year and has provided opportunities to connect with others inside and outside the Dept.
• Has been a Godsend this entire year.

This has been such a tough year for students. I cannot relay how much this means to me. What an honor to know that I'm doing a little bit of good in this world during this difficult time!

VIDEO: Sunday Surprise

How's this for a surprise? This home-owner filmed not one, but FOUR cougars wandering about on their back porch and drinking from a fountain! Click the image to watch on youtube.