Liberation at Graduation

It’s something parents dream of from the day of their child’s birth. A day children strive towards for thirteen years. High school graduation. The moment when you follow your classmates, as of as long as you can remember, onto the stage and receive your diploma. Then, pausing, you look out to your family and friends, you move the symbolic tassel to the other side of your cap.

Often the question arises “What is the big deal about Grad?” Having wondered this myself, I chose to investigate the matter.

The obvious conclusion is that graduation marks your passing from childhood to adulthood. You will make choices that tangibly affect the rest of your life. You will be expected to act like an adult and assume foreign responsibilities. Unfortunately, some have more difficulty than others at executing this.

It does seem a bit surreal that in one moment a child may metamorphose into an adult. Perhaps this conclusion does not entertain as much truth as it may seem.

To some this marks the end of their formal education, but not to most. Further education seems to be essential to the majority of careers in our culture. Yet post-secondary graduation ceremonies appear to be much less extravagant than those of secondary schools. We can thus assume that the ceremony is much more symbolic than simply celebratory in the sense of the completion of said education.

Coincidentally, graduation occurs in the spring of every year. At the same time, we see browns turning green. We see flowers bloom and experience the potential for new life. It is a time of new beginnings. I see it quite fitting that we experience graduation at this time of year.

‘Grad’ is a very big deal to local students here. There are many traditions that are faithfully completed each year. The event doesn’t only affect the students in our community. Families are woken quite unpleasantly as the graduating class honks through the town before the last instructional day of school. This event follows another classic Fernie event, the Coal Creek party.

Our graduation occupies two nights, as a rule. The first night is the Graduation Dinner or ‘banquet’. The next day is the formal ‘cap and gown’ ceremony in the afternoon followed by a photography session. Then comes the main event for most, Prom (short for promenade; a formal black tie dance). Girls wear floor length dresses in a myriad of colours and before long, the dance floor resembles a massive swaying rainbow.

Following Prom is the largest attended community school run event of the year. Since our graduation is held in the arena, the bleachers fill with members of the community, friends and family, wishing to show their support and respect for the graduating class. Paired with a classmate of their choice, couples march around the arena to a selection of meaningful music. The newly grads then depart for their ‘post-graduation’ party or ‘after grad’ while fathers walk many teary mothers to the car.

After thirteen years of work, celebration is imminent. Graduation is celebrated worldwide, from Sri Lanka to Israel to Ireland. It is the first thing you can hold in your hand and really say, “Hey, you know what? I’ve accomplished something BIG!”

Probably high school graduation is one of the more substantial milestones in life. It is the opening of a new chapter. It’s a clean slate, a new birth. Like a bird, perched at the edge of its nest, waiting to take that first leap into the real world. So to all graduates, may your wings be strong and carry you to truly great places!