Well, it finally happened. The even that always seemed so distant and untouchable...happened.
I graduated. Friday June 11th, 7:00pm at Sprague.
And though I wished I could have written a post about how Commencement concluded/summarized my entire high school career...I can't, because Commencement was a mere formality (that I may or may not have been willing to end at times). It seems like many people build up this anticipation that graduation night will be the "best night of their lives." Though it is a great celebratory night, I for one would NOT want things to go downhill from this night (best means it won't get better, right?). So if it wasn't the best night of my life and it wasn't that miraculous conclusion of all things, then what was it? It was graduation (nothing more nothing less). As I sat there with a surround sound of hissing (the beautiful noise of people blowing up ridiculous amounts of inflatable animals), looking out at disrespectful peers talking through speeches, and hysterically laughing at the fact of graduating, I realized that this would not be the moment to sum up my entire time at high school. Instead, this was the last "hoop" I had to jump through to move on to different things. Instead, I would cherish and remember those lasting friendships that I made during high school. I would remember that time Jenny lost our fractionally distilled (for the third time) Sludge test, that time Caroline and I made up a completely useless song on Roman rulers, the time I first job-shadowed at the hospital, the times we cram studied for all of our tests, the times we cried in orchestra, the state performances in orchestra, the battles in mythology, the conversations with burleson and mcelliott, the time the principal pulled into the visitor spot next to me and shooed me away, the hysterically chaotic chemistry class after my first ap test (apush), the woes of the research paper, writing college essays, and the list goes on. All of these memories, at least to me, are so much greater and more valuable than "commencement."
On the other hand, I do have to include one sappy memory from commencement.
7 years ago, I attended Tom's graduation (class of '03). And as a 5th grader, I wondered if I could be the valedictorian when I graduated (would i be able to? was it too hard?). I decided on that humid graduation night, that I would become a valedictorian. And I did. It meant less to me in terms of the actual honors than it did in terms of fulfilling a childhood goal that I had made for myself (one that I at one time thought to be near impossible). So here's to a commencement huzzah to contrast my earlier thoughts (though, I hope my earlier comments still stand...they do right? this is still my blog right?).
And with that, I will add pictures and give a little summary (maybe a video of the madness later).
Pictures up top...because I'm too lazy to move them.
Thursday morning awards assembly: Outstanding student in science award? what in the world? haha. I still thought mrs.koepl hated me...oh well. Overall the assembly was long, but I appreciated the opportunity to support all of my friends in their recognition.
Thursday night: Jenny comes over for no apparent reason (aka to get up at 4:30 in the morning to stand in line to enter the stadium and claim our seats for grad). We fall asleep to kor dramas and (fittingly or not) sleep through the alarm...Fidelis angrily calls us at 5:45 am. We grab coffee and speed off to school.
Friday morning: We stand in a crazy, essentially angry, mob-like line (or line-like mob) as we wait for the gates to open at 8. At 8, everyone rushes past (this was more violent than it seems...shout out to those who got trampled/lost shoes/fell, jenny was all of the above rofl). We managed to sit near where we wanted, but again...seating is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things (and I only participated in this granfalloonery for celebratory purposes).
Friday night: We graduated. Principal spoke. Student speaker spoke. Camerata seniors played Viva La Vida (by coldplay, arr. by vitamin c string quartet). Valdictorians and Salutatorians were recognized. Student speaker #2. Receiving diplomas (or, I guess, empty diploma cases). Move tassels. The end.
Saturday early morn': All night graduation party at the courthouse. I remember nothing (though I have vague recollections of sumo wrestling...and gambling).
Saturday morning: Korea wins its first World Cup game of 2010. Korea 2, Greece 0 (I will be following this for the next month, prepare for updates).
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