Strange courtships

It's very odd when the merits of your life get reduced to the information you can squeeze onto a form or a resume, into a couple of essays, or during a face-to-face interview with people you don't know at all. For our seniors, this strange dance gets played out in the college application process. This simple posting of college destinations belies the huge amount of effort that goes into the process, on both sides.

I am on two search committees right now, one for a new social studies teacher and the other for the Associate University Librarian for Services at the University Library. The hiring process bears a lot of resemblance to the college application process. As well as scrutiny of one another, there is definitely a courtship ritual. Max told us about colleges throwing food at him. But our last AUL candidate has him beat. He had a couple of hours with a realtor, who picked him up in a white stretch limo. No lie. But when the college decision is made or the job is accepted, no more free food and no more limo rides. Courtship over.