Sunday, December 20, 2009

Graduation Adjustment

I graduated from Purdue University. Finally.

I hate polite ceremonies. Even more, I hate dressing in "costume" for them. I'm talking about the dreadful cap and gown. For $30, you receive a used wrinkled gown, stuffed into a compact Ziplock bag and a cap made of cardboard that makes your face look wide. Optional for females are pathetic white strips of fabric you can attach to the gown with a weak adhesive. Since, my hair is dark and my gown was black, I preferred to use the collar.

For Commencement, I played saxophone in the band. You see, the band department allows graduating musicians to play for the band with two major incentives: 1) $$ and 2) you get to take a personal photo with Purdue President France Cordova.

After the ceremony, Pres. Cordova came over and called my name first for the picture. My sax neckstrap caught and detached my collar from my graduation gown. I was fussing with it the entire journey up to her, but couldn't quite get it. Without much thought due to frustration, I asked Pres. Cordova if she could help me. Being a mother of college graduates, Cordova jumped right in and fixed my collar in front of the entire commencement band.

After all was said and done, all I could think of how the President of Purdue fixed my collar, while her body guard waited patiently to the side.

I swear...it could only happen to me.

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