Officially I'm a bit late writing this entry as the system has logged it on the "16th" but for all intensive purposes it's still "Sunday." A year ago to date I graduated from UCSC. Today I was there once again for graduation, but this time watching fellow friends walk across the stage and be conferred their degree.
It was really an odd moment. One of great excitement for my friends, that yes, they too have gotten thru the whole process of a bachelors' degree. At the same token it was the official marker one year from when I was done with college. A bit of a bittersweet moment.
The day started off foggy, and I mean really foggy. Walking up from the east remote parking once we got over the crest it was so bad you couldn't see the tent or the chairs. Graduations are always a curious thing, lots of speeches and whatnot. Yet I don't know what it is about them and perhaps it's my proximity to having graduated and the university but it was engaging. They keynote speaker (whom I don't remember, I lost my program. Will edit...) was quite good, with his tale of his time at UCSC 10 years ago and what the school gave to him.
Now I got really excited and a bit nervous when people started walking. Looking intently to make sure I'd catch the right people, that I'd get a photo of the handshake. After all, it's a one time moment and there's no pause button. I don't know what it is or was but seeing my friends, Pablo among others, walk across that stage was an absolute feeling of elation. And the conferring of the degrees, I remember it so vividly from my commencement I was practically able to repeat what he was saying word for word. Ultimately your entire four (or however many) years is wrapped up at that point where they confer your degree.
There is always a slight pause right after, before the key moment: "You may now move your tassel from right to left."
UC Santa Cruz, when I applied was commonly called amongst my peers at high school, "UC Second Chance" because it was your guaranteed acceptance school. Now why I applied to it with that much negative stigma from my peers is beyond me. However you want to look at it, it was the only school I got accepted to. Interestingly enough my acceptance letter arrived the same day it was postmarked, March 1st, my birthday. An omen perhaps? Whatever the case, I am truly glad I went to Santa Cruz. I loved my time there, I love the school and it's campus, and the people and friends I have made.
Big congratulations to all the 2008 graduates of UCSC. Never forget that you are a slug :P