December Graduation - Class of 2013

This past Saturday I spent more or less the whole day in the mini dome for ETSU's December graduation.  I knew several students in both the 10:00 and 2:00 graduations so I just made a day of it.  I've attended lots of graduations over the years and I've gotten being able to handle them down to a science.  Here are some of my tips:

• Get there early and have adequate things to save seats with.
• Bring snacks.
• Bring something entertaining or sit with really entertaining people.
• Even though it might mean lots of standing/letting people pass by you at the beginning, sit at the end of the row.  This is important for the next step.
• At ETSU, the only entrance down to the floor where all the grads are is on the opposite side of the dome where the stage is, which is where we like to sit.  So when they're about 30 names from the end, get up, go out and walk down to where that entrance is.  That way as soon as the ceremony is over you're one of the first ones down there to meet your grad!
• Between ceremonies go eat at the Arby's on S. Roan street.  It's close, but out of the way enough that it's not very busy and you can get back in time to save seats again.
• Optional: Be festive and wear school colors.  

So Saturday was a long day, but it was a great day.  The best part of college ministry is being able to share life with students, and I love being able to cheer for them as they walk across stage.  Congratulations Class of 2013!

Carly graduated at 10:00 and then sat through the 2:00 ceremony with me.  Also, notice someone getting proposed to in the background?!?

Blake bought a special blue and yellow bow tie, but you can hardly see it because of his beard!

Ivy!  We first got to know each other three years ago on the spring break mission trip to New York.  Been doing life together ever since.

Preston co-wrote a song about me and toilets and likes to sing it for me.

I loaned my old film camera to Megan for one of her first photography classes and she graduated with a fine arts major!

Jillian!  We met when she was an incoming freshman and it was my first year on staff with The Well.  We journeyed both of those from start to finish, pretty much side by side.

Josh graduated on Saturday and started his new job as a manager on Monday!

And I've gotten really bad at forgetting to take pictures of my feet.  So here's a picture of the boots I wore, exactly where there were when I took them off Saturday night.