The Presentation of the Graduates

Pomp & Circumstance was played by Indistinguishable Faculty member John Fenn, while Indistinguishable Faculty Member's Lisa Gilman and Doug Blandy read the bios. Alum Elaine Vrandenburgh handed out the ceremonial ribbons.

Emily Afanador Emily is an all-around rock star, and plays drums and sings in 2 bands, the Fancy Bandits and Telepathic Dumpster. She’s also making a documentary about the bands, upping her cool factor. She could not be here tonight so we accept this ribbon on her behalf.

Beth Dehn Beth constantly feels uncomfortable, including when she was working on her terminal project, an exhibit for the Museum of Natural and Cultural History. She enjoys Paul Bunyan, tea parties, being crafty, and costumed events.


Valerie Dowbenko Valerie studies new religious movements, which perhaps mean that if you tell her you are a god she will add you to her thesis. She is training to be an ordained priestess in the order of the tie-dyed moon maiden here in Eugene, OR.

Jen Furl Jen is apparently too busy being a new mother to join us this evening, so she clearly needs to get her priorities straight. We will send her this ribbon as a reminder, and send baby Jamie folklore propaganda.

Joe O’Connell Joe studies music and plays a bunch of instruments, all without reading music. He has plans to study dulcimer on the top of a Tennessee mountain with Captain Willy the Dulci-meister, and will then appropriate Willy’s songs on his new CD, which will undoubtedly top the Billboard charts.

Summer Pennell Somehow talked her thesis committee into letting her graduate with a lesbian puppet show, which she is still kind of amazed about. She spent her time at grad school learning to be a professional lesbian, and organizing costumed events, both of which will prove to be highly valued skills in the job market.


Don Stacey Don, of the liminal sideburns, has worked on a few films, one on mixtapes, and for his terminal project, a film about the Dutch tradition of “surprise” on Dec. 6, which is kind of like white elephant gifting but cooler. He also paints and sings in a band.

Gail Stevenson The self-proclaimed “oldest and longest surviving” member of Team Folklore, Gail has been spending a lot of time hanging out in the yard of artist Richart, and is trying to make enough sense of his ramblings and lovely artwork to graduate this summer.


Ziying You Has focused her graduate work on Chinese foodways in America and how they are represented in film. She made a film herself on Chinese foodways in Eugene. The ceremonial organizers now wonder why they did not ask her to cater this event for us.