Today I attended my last President's Holiday Party. I've enjoyed this annual event almost every year of my two and a half decades. There's always something tasty and this year seemed especially flavorful. Among the treats were apple slices with bacon, stuffed mushrooms, various meats, nuts on each table, crab cakes, shrimp cups, Swedish meatballs, brownies, mini-creme brulee, cookies, coffee, eggnog and a few other items. Everything was made by Sodexo, our campus food service folks (
Headquarters: ISSY-LES-MOULINEAUXStock price: SW (EPA)€71.22-1.32 (-1.82%) ). While the meals in the cafeteria often taste rather tautologically like meals in a school cafeteria, these treats were well prepared and flavorful.
The hall was decorated by Julie Smith, the president's administrative assistant, who told me that she got a special deal on the deep-hued poinsettia's that lined the shelf along the wall. She also oversaw the hanging of the wreaths and the tree decorations. She has worked very hard on the event every year of her tenancy in the big office.
The president himself, Jim Middleton, will be going on vacation in January, sailing around the Horn. He'll be leaving the brand new VP of Instruction in charge while he's out of the country. We'll see if the school falls apart during that time. (I doubt it will.)
This annual functions like Mr. Fezziwig's does in A Christmas Carol, as a way of making happy the working folks, though our college president doesn't have the power, as Mr. Fezziwig does, of making our service light or burdensome. Our various rulers are more dispersed and include the State Board, our college Board, our disciplines, and the shared understanding of common practices. Thus, Jim Middleton can't be said to have the power of Fezziwig.
And unhappily, there was no dancing.
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