Fandom High Graduation Ceremony, Class of 2013, Early Saturday Evening [Part 1]

[sith_happened]

The ceremony was set for right after sunset, to make sure all types of guests could safely attend, and the lawn of the school had been lit up with blue and gold lights, creating safe paths in which to walk to the seating area and giving everything a twinkling, serene appearance.

Of course, the staff could hardly remember the last time graduation had been a serene experience and so their smiles were genuine but their eyes were alert to anything that could go wrong. The folding chairs had been cleaned of any of last year's drop bear residue and when the scene was perfect, the guests were welcomed in.

Congratulations, Class of 2013! All you have left to do is get through the ceremony. No problem, right?

Comments

Speeches!

[sith_happened]

Just before the speeches began a man dressed in a UPS uniform scuttled up to the front of the stage carrying several large cardboard boxes labeled ACME.

The shipping receipt was small and smudged, but people with sharp eyes might be able to just make out the name "C. Toymaker" on it.

But that can't be important! Speeches! Speeches were important!

Principal Winchester's Speech

[sith_happened]

Re: Principal Winchester's Speech

[bigdamnprincipal]

"This is always one of my favorite and least favorite days," Zoe said as she looked out at the soon-to-be graduates. "Some of you have only been here for a short time, and for some of you, I can't believe you're actually getting ready to leave us. I have to remind myself that your homes and your families and loved ones will be better off having you back. I hope that you've learned everything here that you wanted to learn, and I'm glad that so many of you have chosen to stay over the summer so we don't have to say goodbye just yet. Above everything, just know how very proud of you we all are, and congratulations."

Dean Skywalker's Speech

[sith_happened]

Re: Dean Skywalker's Speech

[sith_happened]

Anakin moved up to the podium in a different set of robes than what the students were sporting.

Your children were taught by strange people sometimes, parents. Hope this wasn't too much of a shock to you.

"Principal Winchester," he began with a short nod, "fellow faculty members, students, honored guests. Today we are here to celebrate a great achievement: our seniors moving on into the world as adults." He smiled. "Some of you seniors, of course, would tell me that you've been shouldering the burdens of adulthood for years already, and indeed many of you are moving on into lives full of responsibility I could only imagine at 18. But I was a graduate of this school too, and I can only hope that the lessons I took away from Fandom are ones you will carry as well: that loyalty matters, that the strange and impossible won't last forever, and to never, ever eat food that falls from the sky. Keep your minds open and your reflexes sharp and all of you will do well."

He smiled quickly at them. "And come back to visit. We like hearing from you."

Valedictorian Speech - Petra West

[sith_happened]

Speech, speech!

Re: Valedictorian Speech - Petra West

[wasthecuteone]

Petra took to the podium and said to the audience, "For those of you who may not know me, I'm Petra West, Student Council President and proud co-valedictorian of the Fandom High class of 2013, and I'm here today to say--" and she turned to address her fellow graduates directly, "Hey, guys! We made it!" Then she turned so she was addressing the audience more directly, though her words were still for her classmates. "I know sometimes it didn't seem like that would ever happen...for various reasons...like, really...but we did, and the lessons we learned along the way aren't like the lessons we would have learned anywhere else. Sure, there were history classes, and math and French--" on the computer, but some parents didn't need to know that, "--but there were other things to learn, too, and some of them might even be more important than physics." Like, say, how to make a clean head shot. "And I am so proud of each and every one of us. Fandom High's not like anywhere else, any other school we could have gone to, and I don't think any of us would have had it any other way.

"We all come from really different backgrounds, and that's part of what makes this place so great. No one's weird here, because no one's normal, either. We're all just us, all just trying to get through high school. And today, we succeeded. For some of you, this may not seem like a big deal. For others, it's the biggest deal in the world. But it's something we've all done together.

"Pretty soon, we'll all go our separate ways. The future's big and scary, and that's true whether you're going off to become a king, or to start college, or to get a job...or to try to earn your big break," she added with a wry smile. "We won't be a unit any more. But no matter where the future takes us, we'll always be the Fandom High class of 2013. That's something no one can take away from us. Remember that. And congratulations!"

Re: Valedictorian Speech - Petra West

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"WOOOOOO!" Kenzi called. "CLASS OF 2013! PET-RA! PETR-A!"

Valedictorian Speech - Natalie Adams

[sith_happened]

Speech, speech!

Re: Valedictorian Speech - Natalie Adams

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie couldn't spot her parents in the audience. But, neither could she really spot anyone else she knew were definitely there, and it made no difference to how she was going to deliver this speech, anyway. Her back was straight, her manner mild as usual. But her voice was steady, and she was very much present in the moment. Flickers of who she was going to be in some years. "Fellow graduates, students, faculty, friends, and family," she began. "I'm Natalie Adams. Unlike my co-valedictorian, many of you may not know who I am. I blend in. I'm a natural outsider, and more often than not I prefer my own company. You may not have paid much attention to me because I've preferred you didn't."

She paused, letting her gaze slide across the audience. Not looking for anyone, this time. Making a point.

"But I have paid attention to you. I observe. And Fandom is a good place for an observer. A school that calls to people from all around the multiverse, then teaches them what that term means. A multiplicity of cultures, personalities, and skill sets. Fandom High students are everything from athletes to junior politicians to the most empathetic people you could hope to meet. And every one of them has their place, and every one of them is equally valuable." She quirked half a brief smile, mostly to herself. "Were you oppressed and feared where you came from for your abilities? Not in Fandom, where the freaks are the majority. We're you hailed as the likely saviour of your galaxy? Your teachers here will still expect you to come to class and do whatever little homework they feel like throwing at you."

She brushed some hair back away from her cheek. A timed gesture to go with a pause, but it looked natural.

"Fandom brings together and makes equal, but without a cost to unique personalities. For a school that loves its clubs and social functions, there is more than enough room to be whatever you are. A social butterfly, a clumsy communicator. Even a loner who observes. Because we ––" And yes, that pronoun-aided shift in focus was intentional, thanks for asking. "–– all know that once the sky quite literally starts to fall down on us, we'll put our individualism aside and pull together. We'll use everyone's pooled resources and particular skills to best aid us until we are all safe again. And that means that we are strong, and we are stubborn. And having made it all the way through the Fandom High experience, there should not be even one person in the graduating class today who doesn't think every last one of us has the capacity to amount to something great in whatever avenue of life we choose to pursue, if through nothing else than knowing how to accept the support of others when we most need it. So here is what I have observed: alone we are strong. Together we are stronger." She exhaled, and nodded. "And now, it's time for us, the graduating class of 2013, to take our strength back out into the world. Let's show them all what we're made of."

She bowed her head once before stepping back.

Re: Valedictorian Speech - Natalie Adams

[lockestheway]

Peter had to resist the urge to write down a few pointers for better speechcraft in the future, because he was Peter and he thought he could do it better if he bothered to put in the energy.

She was getting some light applause from him, though. He was saving the bigger variety for later.