A Tale of Three Graduation Ceremonies

My daughter graduated from college over the weekend. I went to a small college, so we just had (as far as I can remember) a single "graduation ceremony" for everybody. However, at my daughter's large state university (and presumably at many other institutions), there were a number of graduation-related events. In fact, we didn't even attend the "main" graduation ceremony, opting instead for the Honors College graduation, the departmental graduation, and a friend's departmental graduation.

By far the most formal affair was the Honors College ceremony. Staged in an elegant room in the admissions building, complete with a live string quartet providing background music and "Pomp and Circumstance," the proceedings were closest to the what I would consider a prototypical graduation ceremony. Graduands (yes, it's a word) were called to the stage individually, shaking the hands of the assembled faculty before receiving their diploma (or, at least, placeholder diploma) from the dean while one of the professors gave brief remarks on their accomplishments or future plans.

The art department ceremony was a much more informal affair. Although it consisted of many of the same elements -- the procession into the room to (a recorded version of) "Pomp and Circumstance," calling individuals to the stage to receive their diploma, the turning of the tassel -- the vibe was much more relaxed. The fact that the faculty entered to rock music probably helped set the mood.

The final ceremony was a combination of two departments, Religious Studies and Asian Studies. As with the other departmental ceremony, there was an easygoing atmosphere ("Well, I guess we'd better get started soon"). With only one student graduating, the Religious Studies portion of the program turned the generic graduation speech on its head, with several faculty members taking turns speaking directly to their student -- the highlight of the event judging from the number of listeners reaching for tissues. 

Even in these more casual venues, feelings of accomplishment, possibility, and gratitude were palpable. Congratulations to the Class of 2018!