"does ANYONE know the alma mater?"
i wish i were as cute as Sarah ):
lol OKAY SO FUN TIMES IN THE LIFE OF ALANNA:
We were instructed to be at the practice field no later than 8:45 or we wouldn't be allowed to walk. Obviously since I live in fear of rules and breaking them, I had intended to leave my apartment around 8, which would give me plenty of time to get to campus, park my car, and walk to the stadium/practice field. Since I'd needed to get dressed in the morning, get my hood right, and eat, I'd planned on waking up at 6:45.
Except that I can't tell time, and set my alarm for 7:45.
Which is exactly when I woke up.
I rushed out of the apartment and to campus, and made it in time to catch one of the shuttles driving around to all the parking lots to collect guests and graduates. I made it to the practice field 5 minutes early!
And then we stood around for a long, long time.
You're supposed to attach your hood to the front of your clothes under your gown, but most people didn't. I had meant to grab a safety pin on my way out of the apartment because I didn't want to spend the whole ceremony with it choking me, but of course I forgot since I was running late. As I was standing on the field chatting with Bri and Sarah, I realized that the loop on the front of the hood was broken, so I tied it to the front of my bra.
Yeah. I'm a problem-solver.
There's only one tiny entrance to the practice field, so of course everyone was late.
The university-wide ceremony was pretty boring. The student speaker wasn't bad; he opened very humorously, and I'm not sure how spontaneous it was or if it was cleared by anyone. He told us that in the event of rain, the national anthem, invocation, and his speech were cancelled, but the commencement speaker, John Chambers (CEO of Cisco), would go. In other words, he said, rain would kill nation, religion, and peers, but corporate America would remain. We gave out some nice honorary degrees, including ones to Rita Dove, Alan Page, and Eric Shinseki. The commencement address had decent message but a rather average delivery. I could have given the same speech better. I also probably could have written a better speech.
Also my brother txted me during the ceremony, lol. And my parents sent me this hilarious message, "congratulations! have a nice graduation! we LOVE you!"
They really need to give the graduate students more direction. When they asked the candidates from the graduate school to stand all of us looked at each other like, "Is that us?" We had no idea if it was all candidates, just the PhDs, or just the degree marshals on stage. Very confusing. We aren't that smart, guys.
While the graduate students were being welcomed into the company of those pursuing knowledge, the law students were welcomed into the company of those pursuing truth and justice, the environmental school students were being charged with protecting the natural world, etc., the undergrads were "welcomed into the company of learned men and women." For some reason the graduate students and med students found this hilarious, because we were all cracking up.
FYI, learned men and women throw beach balls at their commencement.
Lu is fail and told me they were at the concession stand after the ceremony when really they were at the ticket booth on the other side of the stadium -.- The three of us stopped by the market to pick up something to drink before walking down to the graduate school so that Lu and I could pick up our diplomas. Then we sat outside the undergraduate admissions office chilling and watching the birds (there was a hawk that flew really close to us circling the building) and taking pictures. There was a diploma ceremony happening inside, which we found kind of hilarious to be sitting outside of.
Eventually we headed back to the cars, which is when I realized that I had only brought my driver's license and ID card with me - i.e. no money for lunch. We picked up Jen, dropped off Lu who wasn't feeling well, and met Bonnie and Ben at The Weathervane in Chapel Hill. We had a lovely lunch (where we ran into Dana), and then went shopping/browsing at A Southern Season. We ended up only buying candy and chocolates. Jen wanted to stop by Franklin Street so we dropped her off and circled around to pick her up.
My mother is hilarious and kind of crazy so we went back to Jen's apartment and took pictures. Jordan took me back to my car and I asked her to take a couple pictures of me to further appease my mother. Then I went to pick Sarah up so we could drop some stuff off with her friends and parents, and we stopped for Local Yogurt on the way (everyone up to this point in the story has treated me, because I had no money still).
After all those errands were run Sarah and I went back, put our caps, hoods, and gowns back on, and went to take pictures in front of the chapel (see above). Sarah is so much cuter than I am and I am totally jealous.
Dropped her off at her dorm and I came home and died. And by died I mean made dinner and lay on the couch watching TV and not worrying too much that all my library books were due yesterday until I passed out of exhaustion.
And in bizarre, out-of-context conclusion: abc's what would you do? takes on tiger mom. What. What is this madness.