Sankthansaften

As you might imagine, graduate school is steeped in tradition. At OIMB, a successful defense is no exception. The evening after I defended, the OIMB community, plus my family and my committee gathered at Craig's house for a potluck dinner. Craig, my advisor, even went one step beyond the protocol of tradition and chose a unique theme for the party: a traditional Scandinavian midsummer celebration, or Sankthansaften. Because my defense took place in midsummer and most of my research took place in the European Arctic, the theme was perfect! There were Swedish meatballs, lingonberry jam, elderberry juice, Smørrebrød (open-faced sandwiches) with pickled herring, smoked salmon - Craig managed to get everything that reminded me of Norway. The party was fantastic!

I ordered a special cake for the potluck - in the form of a dropstone!
Can you spot the Caulophacus arcticus?

My brother took the Scandinavian theme to heart and showed up
in a sweater I brought back from Norway.

Every OIMB graduate and retiree for the last 10+ years has signed this cap
and gown in UO colors. I got to add my name!

Craig's defense gift to me was The Deep, an unparalleled photo book of deep-sea creatures.