Gearing up for graduation

With the graduation ceremony fast approaching, all of the planning has fallen into place.  The seniors will walk across the stage to receive their diplomas at the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) Constitution Hall on Thursday, June 12 at 7 p.m..  
The Hall is nestled on the corner of 18th and D St. in the District of Colombia.  The Hall routinely plays host to concerts, symphonies, and numerous commencements.  “There are two graduations before us, so we have to get in and get out [for set-up],” says Ms. Vining, co-coordinator of graduation along with Ms. Hook. The first-year coordinators are succeeding Ms. Grim who “had done it for some years before Ms. Hook and I,” according to Ms. Vining.
The two co-coordinators, along with the leadership class, rising senior officers, and various teachers, will be arriving at DAR Constitution Hall around 5 p.m. on the day of graduation in order to set-up for the 7 o‘clock ceremony.  The set-up will involve placing the graduates’ name cards on their chairs, setting the up stage, and putting other sorts of decorative touches on the Hall.
Before any of this can take place, there will be a rehearsal, ticket circulation, and cap and gown distribution.  The cap and gown distribution will take place in the Upstairs Gym and in Clausen Hall at 7:30 a.m. on the June 11, the day preceding graduation.
That same day, the graduates will proceed to the DAR Constitution Hall at 8 a.m. to attend a rehearsal in preparation for the next-day’s ceremony.  This is also the date and time in which they receive their tickets – a clever way to ensure a high attendance rate at the rehearsal.  
Each student is allotted five tickets, but seniors have and opportunity to snag extra tickets if they arrive promptly at 6 p.m. on the day of graduation.  Tickets are only distributed to seniors who are graduating.
Graduation co-coordinator, Ms. Vining, first said “there should be anywhere from 2,500 to 3,000[people].” The DAR Constitution Hall contains 3,700 seats, so there should be plenty of room for all those attending.
The guest speaker at graduation will be Bill Curran, the Director of Student Activities for Fairfax County.  Along with him, all of the senior class officers will be speaking.  This year’s class speaker for graduation is Laith Abu-Talib, who is also the senior-class president.
Most seniors cannot wait to graduate and be done with high school. “I’m excited [to walk across the stage at graduation]. It’s a symbolic end to my years at Annandale, but it’s a long, boring ceremony,” said senior Andrew Knoll, who has been to the past two year’s graduation in order to perform with the school’s band.
Some graduates, on the other hand, feel differently.  “I’m not excited [for graduation] at all.  It doesn’t mean anything.  We spend four years learning all this stuff and all we get is a walk,” said senior Edd Mewborn.  Even though he is not excited about walking across the stage to receive his diploma, he is going to be attending the commencement, the rehearsal, and the cap and gown distribution because he plans on bringing his parents, his best friend and his girlfriend to graduation.  
Another senior, Tyler Lam Nguyen is not looking forward to it because after attending his sister’s graduation last year, he is worried about the lengthy hour ceremony and claims that graduation is “an extension of school.”  Regardless of dreading the tediously long ceremony, leaving high school is a major step in the life of every senior.