The exhilarating moment finally came for many graduates of Lester. B. Pearson high school when “walking the stage” would be a reality. The ceremony was momentously held on a late Friday afternoon, 2 pm to be exact, at the University of Calgary, Jack Simpson Gymnasium. Frankly a rather an odd place to graduate, but despite the quaint location, the gymnasium was wonderfully transformed into a regal and formal observance befitting to celebrate the proud completion of our high school journey.

Through a tedious procession, hundreds of Pearson graduates were fitted into brand new red gowns, though the feeling of wearing such ceremonial gowns resembled that of wearing very large curtain drapes- slightly uncomfortable and dragging a bit. However, many of us didn’t mind, as the robes that many graduates donned were associated with pride and happiness, as pressured by conduct, arrived early with friends and family to record the day and our appearances. Our TA teachers, faithfully watching our growth and development, were present to marshal and bear witness our final passage out of high school, as able adults ready to take on the world. Lights flashed excitedly, smiles were worn wear, and organized chaos ensued, as more than 500 graduates gathered together, outside the gym entrances, all anxiously waiting for call time.

Privileged to be a choir member, call time meant for all individuals involved in choir to arrive early, practice our graduation farewell performance in our precedent dressing room, and to breathe. The piece we had chosen to perform is called “Ieligama”, a wonderful African song that called for our choir, without too much difficulty, to move with the beat and to sing our hearts out, for which many of us did.

Concert band played a lovely rendition of “Heart of the City”, a captivating piece that was also accompanied by “March Pontificale” to introduce the graduates, and “Ceremonial Recessional” as our Pearson graduates exited. Both performances would be the last time twelve graduates would ever perform while still with Lester B Pearson High School, and were defintely overwhleming and tearful notions for many.

Otherwise, actual call time meant lining up with one’s TA, instructed to remain (but not surprisingly failing) to remain formally silent, perhaps to allow the eyes of nervous graduates to frantically search the limited white walls that surrounded us, in the mistaken hopes of calming the mind.

Hundreds of spectators, with piercing, but endearing stares met our own deer like stares as we finally filed into the gym, nosily settling into our folding chairs, as similarly, the bleachers creaked in a welcoming response to our sudden appearance.

Our proper procession was a lengthy one- an impressive three hours of simply sitting on flat-folding chairs and clapping for the speeches made and the names called.

The teachers had advise everyone- students, parents, and valued guests- that everyone must wait and clap at the end of each announced Teacher Advisory (TA) group, but this suggestion was jovially dismissed as each individual’s name was honoured with variations and combinations of loud, joyful and exhilarating clapping and shouts.

Following the insightful and inspirational speeches made by various board members, it was the time for many graduates, to walk the stage. Unable to speak for the other graduates, I will simply state what my thoughts were at that very precise moment in time, my thoughts extremely vivid and unimaginably unforgettable. The gym’s immensity disappeared, and narrowed into the small world of just three components: the stage, the principle and my folder. Holding onto one primitive and simple, but unconsciously collective thought was to: get across that stage! Seriously, your friends will claim that they had hollered in excitement and had clapped furiously when your name had been called, but you won’t hear them. At least I didn’t, for I couldn’t hear anyone or anything, it was as if time had stopped in anyone’s world but my own, and my movements became shuffled and slow. I had posed to have a picture taken with my principal, (my poor principal had to hunch to accommodate for my height), I had received a congratulatory folder, and I had shaken the hands of many important figures, but time caught up to me again, with the moment I could hear my own breath, had indicated as such.

A heart warming and quite astute valedictorian speech ended off the ceremony, happily bragging to you, the masses, that I am privileged to have shared the same T.A as our valedictorian did:

My teachers, always the realistic and sensible adults that were now guiding us through the ceremony reminded us, “The ceremony meant nothing until you completed your final exams and diplomas.” Given the privilege to walk the stage, we were not guaranteed our high school diplomas just yet. Many gradates were anxiously anticipating when they would write their Social Studies 30 or English Language Arts 30 diploma, needing to pass both courses to meet the requirements to complete high school.

So congratulation to all high school graduates, Class of 2010! We did it!