What Could Have Been Buna...And Dammit Llano, What Are You Thinking?

 I attneded graduation at Llano High this past Friday evening. 

Was held in their auditorium. Yes, a ISD the size of Buna had an auditorium. UIL One Act Play approved auditorium. 

Back with the bond was approved for Buna to build the new " Activity Center" AKA the Gym, an auditorium was part of the package. If you look at the stage, it was built with an auditorium to be built behind the now "Gym." UIL One-Act Play approved auditorium. 

I am have always wondered why people have not questioned why it was not built? The rumor is the they wanted to play the basketball season stopping the construction of the auditorium. If so, what happened to the funding for that auditorium? 

The Llano auditorium, which is next door to the gym, was packed. It holds about 1000. 

Nice, cool, avoided the rain auditorium. 

The Llano ceremony was not without flaws. 

They had no band and "piped in" Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance for the graduates to walk down the aisles to the stage......And there was no National Anthem,  nor school song. ( By the way, Pomp and Circumstance is English in nature, became famous as it was used in the coronation of Edward VII  in 1902.)

And then, the faculty wore robes and hoods.....Which is fine, and I was sitting between two people with serious academic credentials Including a lawyer and a college lecturer, and all three of us threw a fit at the hood.

The hood is the piece of cloth worn around your neck. The colors of the hood signify your degree, and the the two school colors of the university/college you attended. ( Example. I would wear a white chevron signifying I was a history major and then the rest of the hood would be red and white showing I was a Lamar grad.....Mr. Taucer's would have a gold chevron signifying he was a biology major with red and white meaning he attended Lamar.....Mrs. Stanley would have a hood for her master's with a lemon yellow chevron for library science and then orange and white meaning she attended Sam Houston....)

The hoods at Llano were the same, a light blue chevron for education ( I am sure not all teachers were education majors) and then, the colors of Llano, Burnt orange and black. ( Not all the teachers are Llano alumni.And Llano certainly doesn't grant college degrees.) It was horrible. It was a lie. Sorry, but if I would have been required to wear a gown ( I have a minister's Black Geneva gown) and bought my own hood. 

Buna-

You held the graduation outside the last 2 years. I am sure " Covid" this year was the excuse, but years ago when I was still a senior sponsor, the kids wanted to move the graduation from the " Activity Center" back to the football field, I was sent an ugly message from the Supt. of Schools at the time to " Stop it." 

We've now gone full circle. The graduation is back on the field where, " People can see." ( Part of the selling point of the " Activity Center Bond" was we could hold graduation and the prom there. And both graduation and the prom both suck there. The prom saying " The kids won't get into trouble in Beaumont." No, they wait until after the prom, just like in Beaumont to get into trouble. ) ( It is sort of like giving the seniors money at Project Graduation. My nephew came in Saturday morning telling how much beer the kids could buy from the money they were given.)

Now, both graduations were short. About an hour, and the salutatorian wore combat boots with her dress( The make-up would have melted off Tandy's face.) But it got done.

I don't know, if you're going to hold the graduation outside again, it might be time for a new football field. Heck, make it turf. Make provisions for soccer on the turf. ( It is coming) Heck, I'll come coach soccer. I understand it now. 

But graduation back on the field? You knew it was coming again at some point.