PLU Commencement

PLU Commencement Weekend 2009

I recently attended four events honoring PLU Graduates. The first was the Gonyea Reception held at the Gonyea House (where the PLU President lives). It was a marvelous reception. The Gonyea House has a beautiful setting among trees and a large pond in the back which is where the reception was located. It featured a small jazz group and appitizers of fruit, veggies, cookies and sparkling pink lemonade (the lemonade was my favorite). It felt very high class (sort of) and every shook hands with President Anderson and his wife. My mom, sister, and I attended, but couldn't stay long because Dr. Nance called a rehearsal for COW at 5pm - the reception was scheduled from 4-6pm. Alas, the three of us were only there about 30minutes, but it was a lovely thirty minutes.

The second thing I attended was the Commencement Celebration Concert at 8pm that same evening and COW sang three songs, two Lutheran traditions and one very different piece. I can't say much about the concert because I was backstage for all but the part I sang in the choir for. It too was lovely because I got to see my grandparents who had flown in the night before from a cruise (lucky ducks). It's always nice seeing them.

The next morning, Mom, Gina, and I toddled off to Commencement Worship and listened to a great sermon by Pastor Dennis and following the service we went up in to the Organ Loft so mom and Gina could find out what it's like up there. I've been in the organ loft 3 times already and it still enthralls me.

Finally, it was commencement. It was actually a fairly quick ceremony I thought. The message the speaker spoke was to keep an open mind because what we learned in books may not always be what happens in life and that we will gain experience from life we can't get from books - this is an excellent point. It's so funny, I sat in my chair for two hours anticipating walking across the stage and receiving my degree from the President and in about 1 minute it was over. Didn't even feel like it happened almost.

That was Commencement Weekend. I still don't feel like a graduate, I don't know when it will sink in that I'm done with school for now, probably when I don't have to haul my stuff back down to PLU in September is when it will hit me, but right now I'm feeling very peaceful.