Pomp and Circumstance

We recently attended David's impressive graduation ceremony at UC Davis - and the hooding ceremony, which I'd never seen before. So I was reflecting, as we walked the hallowed halls of academia to the parking structure, on other graduations that have been part of my life.

Graduations represent significant achievement on the part of many people, but sometimes the ceremonies themselves leave much to be desired. An excellent example is Donna's graduation from Cal State Northridge. She worked hard and accomplished a lot - but the yahoos on the bench with us managed to spoil our pleasure in a major way. They were probably a contingent from the local fraternity there to cheer their frat bros - in a noisy, drunken kind of way. When I tapped one on the shoulder and mentioned to him that they were so loud that we couldn't hear the name of the person we were there to cheer, he looked a little puzzled - as in "There are other people here?"

My mom's graduation from CSUN was a bit rowdy too, but we were so far back in the crowd it didn't seem to matter much - and the graduating class was so large, they were not reading individual names. You might ask, why attend such a ceremony? It was important to my mom - and we got a good picture of her with my dad.

My own and Harry's graduation from BYU is a foggy memory. If there was not a photograph, I would forget it entirely. I think there was a significant speaker - like Bobby Kennedy or someone - he spoke at some BYU graduation I attended. And your dad and I graduated at two different times, but they blur in my consciousness! And I don't have a picture from your dad's ceremony. As I have said before, I didn't grow up taking pictures of significant events - but we do have the diploma to prove it happened. (And back then, BYU required your attendance at graduation ceremonies.)

Bonny's graduation from UCSB seems bucolic in memory - anything by a lagoon on a summer's afternoon ought to be poetic in nature. I think we all got sunburned too! And we had Hester and Hannah with us. My most clear memory though is the man who pronounced Bonny Brae Bolander - he was Scottish and it was beautiful to hear! The pictures from that day are pretty good too - the one of Bonny in her cap and sunglasses is a personal fave of mine. (and no, I'm not scanning it on right here - I'm not exactly sure where it is!)

Harry did graduate from BYU but didn't attend the ceremony. So that's easy to remember. But his graduation from the Police Academy was impressive - and he got honors and mention so it was a nice celebration. And we have pictures!

Phoebe walked - but hasn't officially graduated from BYU yet! She says it will happen - when it does, we'll celebrate. And we did celebrate when she walked - and we have some great pix too!

Eliza's graduation was just last year - can it have just been one year?! Where does the time go? It was a nice graduation - not too rowdy - although BYU graduations are a lot rowdier than I ever expected them to be. Here I thought it was a California, west coast thing! It was fun to have all the Kerksieks there too - since Hester graduated - and to break bread together afterwards.

Marcie Hoopes has her BYU diploma framed and hanging in her classroom - whenever I see it, I think, "I should do that. Give my students a goal, something to shoot for." When I find it, maybe I will! (Frame it and hang it up - not shoot something!)