Early Retirement Party at City Tech
Photo by Lukasz Pypec
Early retiring from CUNY is like a two year process, and last night I was incredibly honored that my colleagues (most of whom are pictured) and the students set up an event for me. I got a wonderful plaque, a very thoughtful gift from a group of students, a lovely photo presentation, music from friends who had performed on that very stage, great food and a couple cards which I left at school and forgot to read but will soon. When asked to give a little speech, I realized that I should have prepared something. Being the center of attention is really intense for me, and I rarely remember what I said afterwards, but I do remember telling the students--some of whom weren't born when I started at the school--that they are what makes me hopeful for the future. After the horrors of the lockdown--which impacted our students probably more than most--it's so great to see them back hanging out together and making friends. Many are the first in their families to go to college, most work to pay for school (one told me yesterday that he worked in the Times Square McDonalds for more than a year--he's ready for the most intense and crazy show situations after that!) and I know I will be seeing many of them out in the field soon.
Thanks to all my colleagues for their years of dedicated service to the students, support of me, and for putting this event together (and rescheduling it after I got COVID again in the UK). And as my 24 years of time at the school winds down, I'm not quite done yet. I'll be back at school Tuesday to strike the Bindlestiff setup we put in last fall, and then Thursday is culmination project presentations, and then early June is Graduation. After I get back from storm chasing and Grand Canyon running in early July--for the first time in my life--I have intentionally not scheduled anything and have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. I'm not good at sitting on the beach so I'll be doing something, and feel like I have a lot more to do in this industry that has been my life now for almost 40 years, and plan to support CityTech's Entertainment Technology department however I can. But it's going to be weird and a little scary but exciting.