June 4th was Harvard graduation this year. The Extension School graduates showed up to 51 Brattle Street at 7 AM to get ready for the processional to campus. We stood around for a while, and then they fed us breakfast and handed out our class symbol - the lamp, indicating that we had been burning the midnight oil, and gave each of us sheaves of wheat to carry. As the time to march approached, we lined up, stood around some more, and finally were led by a bagpipe player as we walked the few blocks to campus. I was okay until the music started, and then I got a bit teary, thinking about how my dad loved bagpipes and wondering what he would think of all the ceremony. After we got to campus, we stood around some more while the other colleges arrived. We finally marched to our seats in the Yard, where we were able to sit for a while.
The ceremony started with the "Lord Sheriff of Middlesex County" opening the proceedings by pounding his staff 3 times and shouting the traditional greeting. There were 3 student speeches, one entirely in Latin, which was amazing. A number of honorary degrees were presented - the only person I had ever heard of was Winton Marsalis, who also played the Star Spangled Banner and "When the Saints go Marching In" on his trumpet. Then they presented each college and class and pronounced them graduated. Finally the Lord Sheriff pounded his staff 3 more times and declared the proceedings closed.
The Extension School graduates were feted at a buffet at the First Unitarian Church, where we then lined up in alphabetical order, stood around some more, and were finally taken inside the church and up into the balcony. It was a very warm day, and of course, heat rises, so we were pretty wilted by the time all of the ceremony was over. We were presented one by one to receive our diplomas and get our pictures taken, and then returned to the balcony. After the ceremony they lined us up in the front of the church and we stood around again until they took our class picture.
Robert was kind enough to pay for a limo so that we didn't have to worry about parking in Cambridge. Thanks a bunch, honey!
Here are a few pictures of the day.
Graduation
