Graduation. The one day I had been looking forward to for most of my life, yet also the one day which I had also not been looking forward to because of the amount of friends I have made through my school life, not just my peers but also the teachers who have been very grateful to me.
The ceremony started at 1:00pm so before the commencement of the ceremony most of us year 12’s spent the morning signing each others shirts once again and just trying to have the most memorable “last day of school” (so to speak). At 11:00am we were supposed to be having a rehearsal for the graduation, but with the lack of people which were actually there at that time it just did not happen. Instead everyone bummed around in the auditorium until the majority of people had arrived.
Time flew right before our eyes, and before we knew it 1:00pm was knocking on our doorstep and we all made our way back up to the auditorium after taking a short break. It began; this gut feeling of it all being over endowed my body. It made me nervous, anxious, and this overall just funny feeling all at the same time. It was to be a sad farewell for a lot of us, but also the celebration of the opening of a new point in our lives, the real world.
They had a projector connected to a laptop which played a slideshow of everyones photos. Luckily I wasn’t in there at the time mine went past - I would have been embarrassed as anything to see me on this huge screen! The final image in the presentation (which was playing whilst people were entering) was a complete picture of our class of ‘04. Us, the best of the best.
The ceremony begun shortly afterwards with the usual speech by our principal, some musical, dance, and drama items performed by year 12 students, the presentation of academic awards (I received 1st in General Mathematics), speeches on behalf of the other grades, and the presentation of the school gift (We got them a new flag - by request of the principal). You could see tears in others’ eyes throughout the ceremony – it was students mainly but there were also glimmers in the eyes of teachers and parents. We had a final roll call too where we all received our report cards, and our certificate of graduation from the school (speaking of which, where is my reference?!).
As the ceremony due to a close, a performance by Happy, Ben, Sutton, and Yarrow was one to definitely not be forgotten. After a quick salvage by myself on the sound system (as someone incompetent was left there to screw up my year assembly) they played “Closing Time” by Semisonic, which has now been dubbed our song. The song of Class of ‘04. It wasn’t the best performance due to some dodgy equipment but it was still most memorable.
Afterwards we headed to the front yard of the school for tea, coffee, and other assorted things for some last photos, to have a chat in people we won’t get to see for a while. Up there, it became fairly emotional and lots of people were becoming upset, after all when else are we going to get to know so many people in our lives whom we see for six hours a day, five days a week?
As in my other post, its been a MOST memorable experience, one not to be forgotten, to be treasured and held tightly. Keep in touch guys!
Everyone, remember to submit as much material for the yearbook as possible. I want it to be complete, pictures, stories, cartoons, quotes, videos.. EVERYTHING!
~ Chris
Comments
Grigg (September 28th, 2004, 2:00 pm)
Closing time, open all the doors
And let you out into the world
Closing time, turn all of the lights on
Over every boy and every girl
Closing time, one last call for alcohol
So finish your whiskey or beer
Closing time, you don’t have to go home
But you can’t stay here
I know who I want to take me home,
I know who I want to take me home,
I know who I want to take me home,
Take me home
Closing time, time for you to go out
To the places you will be from
Closing time, this room won’t be open
Till your brothers or your sisters come
So gather up your jackets, move it to the exits
I hope you have found a friend
Closing time, every new beginning
Comes from some other beginning’s end
I know who I want to take me home,
I know who I want to take me home,
I know who I want to take me home,
Take me home
Closing time, time for you to go out
To the places you will be from
I know who I want to take me home,
I know who I want to take me home,
I know who I want to take me home,
Take me home
Closing time, every new beginning
Comes from some other beginning’s end
Wabz (October 4th, 2004, 1:50 am)
Its an awesome feeling to leave something with such skill and power. But even more awesome to move somewhere else as just an individual and gain a reputation as yourself in your own right!!
Guido (October 8th, 2004, 11:43 am)
You know chris, I’m graduating in 2 months… and I know I’ll feel exactly like what you’ve beautifully described.
(And I’ll probably be the one doing the slideshow thing for my class, so I better go and check out that song :D)