Today was one of those days, usual for late May but particularly potent this year, where the endings and beginnings of things kind of roll into one.  Part of it for me is because I end classes with seniors earlier than many teachers, which means I start thinking about next year earlier than most.  So today was spent on campus putting something together that can serve as a kind of bridge between this school year and the next.

Today was the last day for students to have any major first-round exams.  Monday starts a round of meetings for big-picture wrap-up and then planning.  Lots of different kinds of balls in the air.  I am hopeful for what’s next even though I know that the fall semester, for all of our efforts to make it “same as it ever was,” will also be radically different.  And, like most, we will have an interesting time maneuvering expectations and reality.  So even with new beginnings we’ll be mourning some losses.

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Today I finished my rewatch of Community.  What a great show!  It was my first time making it through the “gas leak year” since it aired.  And while it was far from perfect, it did have a few shining moments.  Today was for the final episode of season six, the episode where each character tells the story of what their “season seven” would look like.  It’s odd, the show was on the edge of cancellation for most of its run, I think, so every finale had an extra dose of “finality” built in.  The last time I watched the episode, I shared the video clip of the last conversation with Jeff and Annie in the study room.  This time I was more struck by the closing scene at the airport.  Even though there’s a kind of forced infantile nature for Jeff, he had real moments of realization and letting go.  That scene, particularly as he says goodbye to the two youngest remaining members of the group, is somber and hopeful.  A great episode to end a great series.  And then there’s always talk of a movie someday . . .

(image from collider.com)