MLHS Class of '09

For those of you who have been paying attention, you will be confused by this entry knowing full well that we don't have any kids graduating this year which, I'll admit, is probably only a handful of you. Or more accurately, a couple of you. Okay, let's be honest - even David can't keep track of who is coming and going around here! During family prayer he says things like, "...and bless Kylie as she goes off to college next year." and afterwards Kylie says, "Dad, I'm only a Junior."

Our gradutes this year were our two exchange students, Tricia Kuo and Belen Navarro. Coincidentally, they have both actually graduated from high school in their home countries and came to do another senior year here for the experience.



This year MLHS held their graduation at Lion's Field after a 30 year hiatus. Normally it is held in the Big Bend gym which has no air conditioning. So depending on the year, the forecast is generally sweltering with a chance of unbearable. The good part about the gym is that seats are limited and tickets are rationed. So even though we would loooove to go see our favorite nieces, nephews, neighbors and ward members graduate, there just aren't enough tickets to go around - darn it all! The weather turned out pretty good for the first outdoor graduation, but it did manage to rain for a bit with some distant lightening. Wouldn't you know it? It wasn't bad, though.





There is a long standing tradition at MLHS graduations (at least for the 17 years that I have been here) of students hiding beach balls and silly string underneath their robes so that they can bring them out and bat them around make mischief during the talks which are supposed to be inspiring and memorable. (Yes, I used the word mischief. I am that old!) I have to say that I am not a fan of the shenanigans. (There goes another word that shows how old I am getting.) I know that not everyone agrees with me and I know this because of the hooting and hollering done by the "supposed" adults in the audience when the beach balls appear.

The school does not condone this behavior and every year the staff tries to stop this by checking the students before they go in. This year they even sequestered them in the Frontier gym prior to walking on so that no paraphernalia could be smuggled to the students. Have they ever once been successful you ask? No. Not even close. One year there was even an inflatable woman that was passed around - full size - I kid you not! And the only thing worse than these things being swatted around is watching the teachers run around and try to catch them. It's a huge game of keep away and I only wish that I was describing the latest hugely inappropriate PG-13 rated movie that was out, but I'm not - this is real folks. Now some of you may be laughing - shame on you! (Probably not as hard as David laughs, but shame on you!)

Blake Roylance was giving a perfectly wonderul graduation talk (and trust me, they aren't all wonderful so this was a pretty good moment) and the beach balls came out and several adults around me started cheering (grow up already!) and the principal had to stop things and take back control. So much for that special moment.

I don't actually know what the administration threatens the kids with but it can't be much. No one seems worried about getting caught. Apparently that rule is listed right under the other rules that seem to have no apparent consequences like:

No immodest clothing
No PDA (public display of affection)
No smoking on school grounds
No inflatable women at graduation

If I were in charge, I would say that whoever dislodges an inflatable toy from under their graduation robe (perpetrator) or bats it around (accessory) gets their diplomas suspended pending a mandatory summer school sentence. Or better yet, I would reign down some discipline Singapore Style! I think a good public caining would do the trick!! Suffice it to say, even after 17 years, I am not amused.

There are certain rites of passage at graduation ceremonies that should not be messed with. One of these is marching in in heighth order and getting the luck of the drawer as to who you marched in with. Is it someone cute and popular (oh please!), someone at least normal (you'll do) or someone nerdy/freaky/drunk or in some other way embarrasing (please no!) Tall girls and boys at the end of the line knew there was always a strong chance that they would not even get to walk with the opposite sex. It's all part of graduation.



Well MLHS, in their wisdom, instituted a new tradition at graduation proceedings this year. (You'll love this.) The graduates got to choose who they marched into graduation with. Initially the students were told to choose someone of the opposite sex that was around their same heighth. Apparently, that was a little too limiting for the more popular kids. I am not sure when exactly they dispensed with the heighth match, but basically they marched in with whomever they were lucky enough to get asked by in whatever order they chose. Now whoever hears this and thinks that sounds like a good idea was obviously among the few lucky ones who were popular in high school. For the other 95% of the student body (present company included) who dealt with rejection on a daily basis, it sounds like one more chance for high school to make you feel like a loser. What a brilliant idea! I would love to know whose brain child that was!! (No offense) (... ummm... come to think of it, I guess I do mean to offend here.) Okay, I'm done venting about graduation things I don't like.



Luckily, this new marching order worked out well for Tricia and Belen because they got to walk together. We have had such a great time with these girls in our home this year. Belen went back home to Hermosillo, Mexico yesterday and Tricia goes back to Taipei, Taiwan on June 21st. They have both become just like family to us and we will really miss them. Happy Graduation girls!

Belen:


Tricia and Kylie