Graduation do's and don'ts post 11

I thought a lot about this blogpost. Mostly because the only thing really running through the news right now is the bombing at the Boston Marathon. I think it's important to let the authorities deal with that and we can all hope and pray that the people in Boston who were affected are getting the proper assistance and medical help that they need.

So I've been thinking about graduation a lot. Especially the ceremony.

http://southbury.patch.com/articles/the-dos-and-donts-of-graduations-and-commencements

This is something that some people hate and some people love. For students, every move has been extremely well-rehearsed and waiting for your name is boring every time you hear it go through the list. A fun thing I found on the website above is that to keep things interesting try "Counting how many peoples' names the Superintendent mispronounces, or which parent makes the most embarrassing noise when their child is called."

Parents have an interesting role too. They get to celebrate the success of their parenting skills for the past 18 years. They have fed us, clothed us, and made us do our homework. And they are allowed to clap extra loud for their children but not to boo the children "who got into better colleges" than their own kids.

Teachers, the article says, are supposed to let their students go. As hard as that is, new students will come again next year and fill the void. Teachers are instructed not to hand out a last minute writing assignment or stick in one last lecture, because those will be generally "frowned upon". I think this is funny because it is true that students have checked out of school, but that does not mean the last few days of classes need to be all fun and games. They can be deep and getting to know what people want to do in life instead of just signing yearbooks and being cliquey in classes.

All in all though, graduation will be fun for anyone attending, or even graduating. It is a time in someone's life where they are at a crossroads and need to start thinking on their own two feet. I love the concept of it all: happiness, friendship, memories. There's nothing better than another graduating class passing on that Ravinia stage.