we just talk about the people we've met in the last 5 years, and will we remember them in 10 more?
I realize that I constantly come off as pessimistic when it comes to school-related activities or anything else regarding school spirit due to the lack of enthusiasm and pride for my school, so I apologize the many times that I have used this journal as an outlet for my frustration of the stupidity that is Chiles. Please allow me to make one last gripe.
Am I the outlier here, or did other people find graduation so anticlimactic? Standing in line for more than an hour at rehearsal after watching the most boring half-hour senior video of the same pictures of the "typical" Chiles student (you know, since ALL Chiles kids absolutely LOVE to get wasted during Spring Break and drive huge-ass trucks that are too tall for your own good! What fun!) as well as standing in line for about the same time for graduation--plus sitting in fold up chairs for an additional 2 hours. Once all that hodge-podge was over, I was delighted to find that it was pouring rain and incredibly difficult to find anybody since, naturally, people were huddled in the same undercover area for shelter from the deluge. As I was riding on the escalators down the two levels in the Civic Center, my peers around me were chatting excitedly and exchanging enough hugs to make a teddy bear go suicidal. Yes, I am glad to graduate (trust me, I want to get out of here..if you haven't picked up on that already), but is the graduation ceremony really that monumental? Why such excitement for 3 hours of sitting/waiting? It's not like you didn't know if you were going to graduate until you walked across that stage. I remember while waiting to get our diploma covers, a guy a little bit before me turned to his friend and said, "DUUUDE! This is IT! This is the end of high school!" And I thought to myself, "No..the end of high school was like a week ago. This is just a formality."
Ok. I'll turn down the bitching and switch the optimism on. There were the little things throughout the evening that made me happy. Namely, Brandon (with the help of Logan) came to the graduation to give me my graduation present. 2 years ago (Brandon was a freshman and I was a sophomore) at some random Mu Alpha Theta Invitational, Brandon and I somehow came across the topic of freestyle rapping and that led to Brandon's promise to write a rap about me for a graduation gift. Lo and behold, after graduation, I found myself being rapped to with Logan providing the beat boxing. It was the cutest thing ever (can freestyle be cute?):
Vu, that's right, Clara Vu
She's tight dawg and her name's cool too
Vu, that's right, Clara Vu
You ready UF? Cuz she's coming to you
First met this cat
When I was a lad
It was at Mu Alpha Theta
A trophy she had
Then we went to Chiles
I saw her every day
Outside of our classes
"Clara VU!" I'd say
She always told lies-
Said she had small eyes
But we know that Vu
Was just asleep, that's true
Now it's been three years
And she's graduated
That's why I wrote this rap
So as not to be hated
Vu, that's right, Clara Vu
She's tight dawg, and her name's cool too
Vu, that's right, Clara Vu
You ready UF, Cuz she's coming to you!
I also enjoyed Kavita's and Roland's speeches. To tell you the truth, I didn't know Roland could be such an eloquent speaker. And his subtle references to indie song lyrics made me especially happy. In addition, I got to see Mrs. Schuster. Two days ago I delivered a picture frame with a picture of both of us hugging each other and she just received it yesterday. She had tears in her eyes and said that it was one of the most meaningful gifts/card she had received. It was nice to see her again and I know I'm definitely going to miss her.
I know I am going to miss all my friends, especially the one who is moving far, far away in a couple of days. Best of luck to everyone. I think it's foolish to truly believe that we will all keep in touch forever. Change is inevitable. But we will always have the memories and lessons that we learned from/with each other. So I hope you will all remember each other in the future, no matter where we are or what we're doing, because I certainly will.
Much love and congratulations to our amazing class of '08!
Am I the outlier here, or did other people find graduation so anticlimactic? Standing in line for more than an hour at rehearsal after watching the most boring half-hour senior video of the same pictures of the "typical" Chiles student (you know, since ALL Chiles kids absolutely LOVE to get wasted during Spring Break and drive huge-ass trucks that are too tall for your own good! What fun!) as well as standing in line for about the same time for graduation--plus sitting in fold up chairs for an additional 2 hours. Once all that hodge-podge was over, I was delighted to find that it was pouring rain and incredibly difficult to find anybody since, naturally, people were huddled in the same undercover area for shelter from the deluge. As I was riding on the escalators down the two levels in the Civic Center, my peers around me were chatting excitedly and exchanging enough hugs to make a teddy bear go suicidal. Yes, I am glad to graduate (trust me, I want to get out of here..if you haven't picked up on that already), but is the graduation ceremony really that monumental? Why such excitement for 3 hours of sitting/waiting? It's not like you didn't know if you were going to graduate until you walked across that stage. I remember while waiting to get our diploma covers, a guy a little bit before me turned to his friend and said, "DUUUDE! This is IT! This is the end of high school!" And I thought to myself, "No..the end of high school was like a week ago. This is just a formality."
Ok. I'll turn down the bitching and switch the optimism on. There were the little things throughout the evening that made me happy. Namely, Brandon (with the help of Logan) came to the graduation to give me my graduation present. 2 years ago (Brandon was a freshman and I was a sophomore) at some random Mu Alpha Theta Invitational, Brandon and I somehow came across the topic of freestyle rapping and that led to Brandon's promise to write a rap about me for a graduation gift. Lo and behold, after graduation, I found myself being rapped to with Logan providing the beat boxing. It was the cutest thing ever (can freestyle be cute?):
Vu, that's right, Clara Vu
She's tight dawg and her name's cool too
Vu, that's right, Clara Vu
You ready UF? Cuz she's coming to you
First met this cat
When I was a lad
It was at Mu Alpha Theta
A trophy she had
Then we went to Chiles
I saw her every day
Outside of our classes
"Clara VU!" I'd say
She always told lies-
Said she had small eyes
But we know that Vu
Was just asleep, that's true
Now it's been three years
And she's graduated
That's why I wrote this rap
So as not to be hated
Vu, that's right, Clara Vu
She's tight dawg, and her name's cool too
Vu, that's right, Clara Vu
You ready UF, Cuz she's coming to you!
I also enjoyed Kavita's and Roland's speeches. To tell you the truth, I didn't know Roland could be such an eloquent speaker. And his subtle references to indie song lyrics made me especially happy. In addition, I got to see Mrs. Schuster. Two days ago I delivered a picture frame with a picture of both of us hugging each other and she just received it yesterday. She had tears in her eyes and said that it was one of the most meaningful gifts/card she had received. It was nice to see her again and I know I'm definitely going to miss her.
I know I am going to miss all my friends, especially the one who is moving far, far away in a couple of days. Best of luck to everyone. I think it's foolish to truly believe that we will all keep in touch forever. Change is inevitable. But we will always have the memories and lessons that we learned from/with each other. So I hope you will all remember each other in the future, no matter where we are or what we're doing, because I certainly will.
Much love and congratulations to our amazing class of '08!