Pomp and Circumstance three times

The beat of “Pomp and Circumstance” as robed graduates march thrills me. I was thrilled three times last week.
Friday morning the graduate of the day said he needed to buy a white shirt. I gave him money to buy one. That was the last I saw of his beaded face until his commencement from SAU-Magnolia with a bachelor’s degree in a biology with minors in chemistry and psychology.
From our perch in the stadium seats my daughter and I debated which man in a black robe, with white collar and beard was ours.
We both were wrong — he shaved before graduation.
As he stood in line waiting for his name to be called, three sprinklers in line with the graduates’ chairs began spraying water, breaking up the neatly seated rows of black-robed graduates.
Once the water was off and the graduates re-seated, the chancellor said, “This year was the first time in four years I had not worried about rain.”
A couple minutes later, our dry graduate proudly walked across the stage as they called out his name, adding “cum laude.” He became another graduate looking for full-time work. One graduation over, two to go.
Sunday morning, the graduate of the day woke up at 1:30 a.m. to welcome us to his Indiana home. We had flown up to watch him receive his master’s degree in theology. At 10:30 a.m. he preached. At 2:30 p.m. graduates flowed into Convocation Center from five portals. Our speck among thousands waved to us in the peanut gallery.
In spite of seeing Regis Philbun and Elizabeth Dole our Indiana granddaughters declared the graduation boring. I’d say, efficient. Only the students receiving doctorates walked across the platform. The rest stood by colleges and were pronounced graduates.
Our graduate was one of a couple hundred who stood quietly and were conferred with a master’s degree. The students receiving a bachelor’s degree however roared to their feet cheering, volleying a beach ball between rows and spraying each other with silly string.
The last to stand, the architectural students stood carefully. Each balanced an elaborate model of a straw, cardboard or wood building on their mortar board.
One graduate looking for part time work to pay bills while he studies for another master’s degree. Two graduations over, one to go.
Wednesday we joined our exchange student’s parents as our graduates of the day attended a brief baccalaureate service in the cool Parkers Chapel cafetorium. Thursday evening we fanned away the heat of the gym and proudly snapped pictures of our graduates.
Three graduates over, none to go. Friday morning one high school graduate went to work for college money while the other left for New Orleans and Panama Beach with her parents before returning to high school in Germany.
I enjoyed the excitement at each graduation; I relish the calm that follows.