Graduations Recap
06.20.02 // 4:59 p.m.

Look at me. Here I am in my one week break between full time student and full time director and I'm here at school. I wish I was off in Mexico somewhere working on my tan not worrying at all about premature aging and other negative effects of too much sun. I need a tan dammit! I'm getting kind of pasty here.

At least I can console myself with the thought that I will soon enough be with Dom, and that it is more than enough to make me feel better. I always get like this when I know I'm going to see him. Maybe I glow or something, but I'm in a great mood. I tell everyone where I'm going and when they ask why I have so many good things to tell them about my boy.

Oh yeah, I wrote that I'd tell you all something about the graduations. Well, they were quite nice. I finished all my work late Friday night, and turned in the extra credit paper for Chicana/o Studies 101. The next day, my family and Vane's family crammed the apartment waiting to go to the Chicana/o Studies graduation.

The ceremony was nice. I've been to it a couple of times and what I like most about it is that it's small enough for each graduate participating to speak for about a minute. Almost everybody cries, they all thank their family, friends, professors and significant others. I forgot what I said, but I know I didn't cry. I think I surprised myself. Papa Chepe gave me a 10 in my speech 'cause I didn't cry.

After that we had the party for Yo and myself at my parent's house. It was much more low key than usual, but as always the food was yummy. Yo and I got a lot of nice and similar gifts.

Sunday, Father's Day, I rushed back to UCLA for the big Raza Grad. That ceremony was nice, but long (about 3 hours).

It always starts off with danzantes who lead the procession of graduates and then bless the ceremony. Following that, the MCs Chuy and Cynthia begin. There's a welcome by the chairs, Vane and Andrea, and then Ome spoke on behalf of MEChA. Two other student speakers, Randy and Esmi gave short speeches in English and Spanish respectively (the whole ceremony is translated).

The keynote spoke about lettuce for some odd reason.

After the keynote, there was a 10 minute intermission with the band Very Be Careful playing and the graduates dancing. They play vallenato music, which rocked.

Then we all had to sit down again for the explanation of the hooding ceremony for PhD and Master's Candidates. Undergrads came afterwards. I sat with my friends in the front row so I was one of the first ones called. You can see me here after getting my "diploma."

The final part of the ceremony is the presentation of the class and then the Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles plays (one of their members graduated too). Everybody loved them and I loved their trajes.

After the ceremony we all split up to take pictures with family and friends, hopefully I'll have some soon. It was nice. But I still don't feel a great sense of accomplishment. It'll hit me soon.

For more photos, go here.

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Me siento: blah
Escuchando: the tick from the clock and hum of the AC

M�s reciente:
Searches - 09.16.05
the big move - 07.29.05
mother and daughter: a comparative analysis - 07.28.05
jardineros y dom�sticas - 07.27.05
tough question - 07.25.05

antes // despu�s


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