grad night 2010
We had the privilege of attending Reg’s granddaughter’s high school grad dinner and dance on Friday night. Marika Dawn White turned 18 last month and graduates from Tec Voc High School this month.
Marika (shown above with friend, Andy) is a student in the Broadcasting Program at Tec Voc and up until recently, had wanted a career in broadcasting. She’s changed her focus and will now be pursuing a teaching career and beginning classes at the U of W in September. Brings back so many memories for me, as I attended the University of Winnipeg (Urban Studies Program) after graduating from Vincent Massey High School in 1974.
Our high school grad was quite different than Marika’s. Sure, the girls wore long dresses, but they were just that. Long dresses; not gowns. The graduating girls from Tec Voc wore the kind of fancy gowns that you’d see on the red carpet at any gala event. Amazing! These 17 and 18-year-old girls were dolled up to be gorgeous women, each with her own flair for style and fashion.
Marika (shown on the right in the photo above) loves baseball and is not a girl who generally focuses on fashion. But she managed to find just the right dress for her, and when I asked her which one of the many gowns worn that evening was her favourite, she answered … her own! Now that’s a girl who knows what she likes and is not afraid to say it or show it. See Marika here showing off her black running shoes. Her own personal touch to stamp her own unique style on this life-changing occasion.
I wish I’d had the confidence at that age to just wear what I liked instead of worrying about what was fashionable! Glad to say I now have that confidence and am not easily influenced, but I’m really proud of young people who have the where-with-all to be themselves and create their own styles (within reason!)
A few other things really impressed me about Tec Voc’s grad night. It was a dry grad. That’s right. No liquor. Yet, everyone seemed to be having a great time (us included,) proving that you don’t need alcohol to enhance a special occasion. And what’s best of all is that each of those students will actually remember everything that happened at their grad. Certainly not the case for the Vincent Massey grad of 1974!
The speeches at the Tec Voc grad were terrific — from the teachers, and the students. One of the teachers said in words of inspiration to his departing students, “Remember that with one small gesture you can change a person’s life — for better or worse.” A simple, yet profound sentence to inspire a multi-cultural class stemming from such diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. That’s the really neat thing about Tec Voc (short for Technical Vocational) High School. Students come from various parts of the city to take part in practical studies in a wide variety of disciplines. Very specialized and practical training for today’s competitive job market.
In one of the student’s speeches, she made reference to a quote from actor, Jeremy Irons, who is reported to have said, ” We all have our timesheets. Some take us backwards. They are our memories. Some take us forward. They are our dreams.” What a terrific quote from which to draw and give inspiration!
Have you attended a high school grad lately? If so, what impressed you (or didn’t impress you?)
How about your own memories from (or inability to remember) your own grad night? What stands out in your mind about then versus now?
Thanks a lot for your comments, Jay. I share the same optimism as you. Based on what I witnessed at the Tec Voc Grad in Winnipeg, the youth of today seems to have a very high level of respect and regard for their counterparts. I admit to being pleasantly surprised by that.
Always a pleasure to hear from you. Do drop in again soon.
I had the distinct honor of being invited to this year's graduation for the senior class of the Sir James Dunn Academy, St. Andrews, NB, Canada. Graduation ceremonies are filled with protocol and a bit of etiquette. Without these, the organizational elements would be totally chaotic. The graduation itself took place in the gymnasium and was beautifully decorated and carefully planned and executed. Walking into the school and seeing everyone all dressed up was so refreshing and really nice.
Another part of graduations which I look forward to are the various speeches. This year reminded me of why I like them so much. For one thing, I am impressed with the facility people have of standing in front of an audience of strangers, speaking about a broad range of subjects about life, it's impending pitfalls, its moments of joy and the adventures that lie ahead for the graduates. This year's speeches were all short, punctuated with humor and seeded with wonderful advice. Those heartfelt personal messages are the just the kind of advice that is doled out in one form or another throughout the busy school year and often go unheeded. For some reason, perhaps because we are a captive audience, we pay closer attention at graduation. We actually listen and hear things we yearn to hear often.
Customarily the class takes a trip together as a fun extra curricular activity to punctuate their achievements. They usually go white water rafting. This year, however, one of their classmates is confined to a wheelchair and as a result would not have been able to participate. The class decided that it was more important to include everyone in the activity and chose an alternative which would allow for total inclusion. I mention this as an example of how we may all learn from the students whom we so often teach. Wouldn't the world be a more wonderful place if this same dynamic was carried throughout our daily lives and society as a whole?
The students demonstrated great individuality during the year. At graduation they come together as individuals and uphold tradition. This year's class was no exception. But above all, they demonstrated how they order their priorities. To my mind, they are doing just fine. If tomorrow's leaders were in that group of graduates, and my guess is that there are many, then we have much to look forward to. The teachers to whom parents entrust their children are commendable. Their guidance is working, and in no small part because they are allowing the students to help in the process. The future is bright.
Congratulations to the class of 2010!
I write a weekly column for the Telegraph Journal in Saint John, NB, Canada. My web site http://www.etiquetteguy.com has a number of past columns and information on workshops.
Thanks so much for sharing those insights, Kim! I'm loving hearing from people from different generations and seeing how much has changed and what hasn't!
Those memories we have from our youth may fade or change over time, but they will never leave us.
I graduated from high school in 1993. I remember three things vividly.
1) My dress. It was strapless, floor-length, black velvet. I loved it. I was so nervous about falling out of it however that I got my mom to take me to a seamstress to have straps put on. I didn't want my grad memories tarnished with the embarrassment of unwanted exposure!
2) We drank – on a farm. That's right. After the beautiful formal dinner at a hotel in Winnipeg, we changed into jeans and sweatshirts and were bused on school buses ( like 6-year olds) to some farm in the middle of nowhere. Of that, I remember the bus trips and that one of my best friends had to go to the first aid tent when he overdid it.
3)I distinctly remember the feeling that we were living a night that would remain in our memories forever. I remember wanting to capture every moment. I remember feeling the preciousness of it all. But that's really all I remember. I don't remember any special words, or promises or songs, but when I think back I can feel how important it all felt at the time.
I think the dresses are pretty significant. They signify the moment when girls put on women's clothes.
""When I was a child I spoke as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child; but when I became a [wo]man I put away childish things." I Cor. xiii. 11.
For some girls they are as comfortable in the dresses as they are in their own skin. For others, the dresses are a little scary – but there's no option – we may not feel ready but we have to grow into them. For me, I added straps. The dress, and the grown up life that followed were exciting and scary. I needed a little extra support, but no one knew that. I looked like I fit in, no one knew I had to do a little extra work to feel comfortable.
I hadn't thought about how significant my choice of dress was. I wonder what your daughters will think of their dresses 15 years later.
I wish I still had mine. I still can't wear strapless dresses but now I guess I know why. Aside from the issue of gravity at work, the truth is I still feel like I'm playing dress up in "women's" clothes. I'm 34 and I haven't shaken that exquisite mix of fear and fascination about living my life.
Thanks for the post Doreen, and for this afternoons moment of realization. That's a good day's bit of work.
Thanks to Heidi and Kathe for sharing their perspectives on this topic.
Would have loved to have seen Miranda in that silk dress, Kathe. I bet she was lovely, and how special to have worn a vintage dress from your mother. Wow!
And yes, Marika and her friends did the limo thing and pics on stairs in front of the house as well. Neat, and what memories!
My daughter graduated from a private girls' school in Montreal two years ago. She wore a beautiful black silk cocktail dress that my mother had held onto for 50(!) years, and she looked stunning, as did all her friends. I was thrilled to see that there was no great pressure to have a date for the prom – these girls hang out in groups, with a few guys here and there. Eight of the grads (really their parents) chipped in to rent a limo – six girls and two guys made up the party. There was a reception at a private club for the grads and their parents and then we parents were expected to vamoose – this was *their* evening. The school hired a photographer, so we have great souvenirs, but the best photos were taken casually in front of our house.
I, too, attended a grad this June–my cousin's grad. Like you, I was very surprised by how formal it was. For us, the prom was very formal, the grad was just an opportunity to look a bit fancier than normal. At the grad I went to in June, though, the girls were all decked out in fancy wear and ridiculously high heels (I don't know how some of them walked!).
The teachers and principals gave excellent speeches. One of the school district board members gave a speech based on Twitter–140 characters. It was fantastic (and short!).
I love the enthusiasm at the graduation ceremonies–the grads all look like they could take on the world. I wonder how many of them will become freelance writers…
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Christine.
I do find it amazing what a formal and big deal is made today of high school grads vs 30 or so years ago when we were graduating high school.
Someone explained it to me that high school is the last time youth will be in the same smaller group in the same place at the same time. When entering university or college, kids/people specialize and then branch out into different areas, so there is less likely a chance of everyone actually graduating at the same time. In that sense, I can see the celebration of "community." But I still have a bit of trouble getting my head around spending $300-600. on a grad dress!
Like you, I admire the teens and young adults today who seem to be so much more self-confident than we were at that age. I see this in my own kids, my nieces, nephews, and [kids of] my cousins.
It's great that you were able to share this occasion and milestone with Reg's granddaughter. She will remember that you were there.
We had a "semi-formal" when I graduated from high school. Our class had a party just before the end of university, but there was no "Grad" or "Prom." Both times, my mother had a party for me with friends and family. Both were special.
I love both of the quotes you shared with us. I hope that the kids at Tech Voc remember that spirit, even if they don't remember the exact words.