National Treasure: BYU '11 Grad

*warning: this post is going to be filled with hundreds of pictures of myself. Some are me with other people, but mostly they are of myself. Sorry to be so vain... I just happen to look really good in one-size-fits-all polyester gowns and thought I would share the wealth.

I have been to the floor of the Marriott Center, endured the endless hours of name-calling monotony, and lived to tell the tale. And it was actually sort of fun...

Okay, to be honest, commencement was a blast. I was ecstatic the whole time. It's not everyday you get to march in line, wearing a square of cardboard on your head, with thousands of people dressed exactly like you. Rarely do I have people swarming around me, trying to take my picture (okay it was just my dad, but he was just as aggressive as the paparazzi). I don't normally get to walk past Elder Scott and President Samuelson and thousands of smiling and waving teachers dressed in medieval robes (acting like they didn't just give me a dismal score on their painful final exams). I NEVER get to walk through the back halls of the Marriott center (my friend reverently whispered "Jimmer walks here" as we passed through) and march onto the floor of the arena. It was pretty exciting. And I may have gotten chills when President Samuelson announced "I confer upon each of you the degree that you have achieved (Bachelor's Degree)." There were 6,000 of us graduating. 6,000!!!

We filled the Marriott Center. Awesome.

Getting in the right lines was hard for some people. I'm not sure if you should be graduating from college if you can't read large bold-print signs...

Just standing in the tunnel, waiting to walk out on the floor of the Marriott. I was kind of excited.

Commencement was a slightly different story.

Here are ten things I learned about college commencement ceremonies:

1) BYU event staff coordinators are smart. They are also Mormon. Knowing the difficulty of getting large groups of Mormons to start anything on time, they conveniently told all graduates to be at the Marriott center promptly at 4 pm OR ELSE. The processional didn't start until 5:15. I should have known.
2) I told everyone that I only knew like three people graduating. That was a lie. When I lined up with my political science department, I recognized almost every single person. I also didn't know a single one of their names. Obviously I am a horrible person. Or anti-social.
3) Do not wear brand new but ridiculously cheap plastic heels to three and a half hour commencement ceremonies. You will regret it.

Barefoot on the floor of the Marriott. REBEL.

4) The tassle goes on the right. Until you graduate. Then it goes on the left. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US had it wrong. Good thing they had like seven people in the tunnel telling us to switch it before we all looked like fools in front of half of provo.
5) If you think "hmmm well it's pretty chilly outside and my dress is pretty short and has no sleeves- but NO WORRIES. My lovely graduation gown thing will keep my cozy and warm during a freak winter snow storm," you are sadly mistaken. Putting on one of those gowns is like wrapping yourself in toilet paper. The one-ply kind. Good luck.

This might look like we're hugging because we love eachother or something, but really we are just freezing cold. A storm blew in during our very important photo shoot.

6)When people say "ohh graduation was so boring- all they did was read thousands of names off a piece of paper," they are not joking or trying to be a "debbie downer." That is really what happens. Trust those people.
7) The very smart and important teacher reading the million names of graduating students might slip up and read some names out of order. Or maybe she will read so fast that someone about six people in front of you gets to walk across the stage as "Elizabeth Anne Jones" is called. No big deal. I've always wanted to graduate as "Robert J. Busch."
8) If you tell your parents that you will meet them afterwards by the victory bell, chances are pretty high that half of the graduating class has made the same plan. Chances are also high that your cell phone has no reception, your parents' cell phones have died, the seven thousand people waiting by the victory bell are talking way too loud for you to hear anything on your phone anyway, and the temperature has probably dropped to below freezing. However, having two feet of bright red hair works wonders in a crowd, and your parents will always be able to spot you from a mile away if you just stand still.

I thought I would have ten insightful things to say but I think eight is enough. Convocation was pretty crazy- but in the end, it was all worth it. I have some great memories, some awesome pictures, a BYU alumni t-shirt, and a diploma (cover). Whoo-hoo!

Since I'm technically still in school (silly capstone class only offered in the spring), I'm not going to write the long and sappy "I Love BYU" post that you know is coming. I'll leave that for later- for when I really finish college. For now, it's back to studying. Well, capstone-paper-writing.

Please enjoy a million pictures of me, a proud BYU graduate.

So glad my parents made the sacrifice to come out and see me graduate. Actually, so glad they made the sacrifice to send me to college in the first place. I love my parents!

Yes I am fully aware that this is a coprighted picture (hence the massive "proof" written across my body) but I prefer to view this picture as "proof" that I have graduated from BYU.

Love this girl. So glad we met in DC.

If you can't tell, Britt and I enjoy headshots. And photos in general. Our friendship is documented so well by photograph...

Pretty much the epitome of our relationship. Me doing something stupid, Britt laughing at me, me falling over.

One of my few (and best) graduating friends. Thanks for putting up with me over the years, Robby... the stressful nights in the library, late-night mcdonald's runs, study sessions, DC seminar, listening to me freak out about nothing... you're the best.