Las Promociones

So this past weekend was jam packed with the Graduations of my students. One of the downsides of working in seven schools is that you can’t be in seven places at once. Five of my schools had their graduation ceremonies at the exact same time, and I received invitations from all of them. There’s usually enough of me to be shared, but not simultaneously. So I did what was fair in deciding which one to attend; no I didn’t accept who asked me first, but rather chose my favorite school, which as it is, is my largest school. One hundred and five kids walked that day. Needless to say it was a long afternoon.

The ceremonies here are very important, and well, very inefficient. As much as it pains me to say, most students won’t pursue a higher education. Of those who do, the number is even smaller for those who successfully graduate from the university. So this certainly was a big day for a lot of students, warranting the expenditure of a lot of money on new clothes, shoes, and of course, the graduation party.* The ceremonies themselves are a lot like the American equivalent in many regards. Each student wears their robes and caps,  walks on a stage to receive their diplomas and shake hands with the VIP’s, and throw their caps into the air at the end. But there are some notable differences however. Each student is announced one by one upon entering the graduation hall or courtyard, and is escorted by a parent or loved one to their seat. Then once everyone is seated, they repeat the whole process as each student, escorted by a loved one, walks to the stage to receive their diploma. What took me as particularly strange, is that the names of the students would be announced not when they walked on the stage, but when they first stood up from their seats. So Juan would be walking, receiving his diploma, but the MC would be announcing Yanerish, the person next in line. Strange, right? One thing that I did like in particular, and would have enjoyed this back at my graduation, is that each graduating home room of quinto ano had an opportunity to go on stage, and sing/perform the song of their choice, as a thank you to their teachers, and a goodbye to themselves. All of them were very moving, and made me think of those joyous hours after my own high school graduation, when all of us were all smiles, and giving each other high fives. I was on cloud nine the night of my graduation, and had a blast celebrating with my friends. So much fun, that I felt compelled to sneak out of the house that night to continue the party with my best friends. I didn’t make it back to the house until 9am the next day, but luckily my parents were to distracted to ever know I was missing.

            Perhaps the most memorable part about one of my graduations is that I was recognized by my students for my work this semester. They were handing out gifts to their home room teachers for their work for the school year, and therefore wasn’t expecting anything. So it was pretty heartwarming to hear my favorite student get up and speak such kind words about me, it justifies why I am here. I may not have reached every student in the classroom, but at the very least I reached one.

*To go on a small tangent, ceremonies like graduations, quincineras, and communions, among other things, warrant large celebrations here. Parents will often spend more money than they have, or worse lend money from banks or lending institutions to pay for lavish parties. Sure it makes for a fun afternoon/night, but at what expense. These parties can put people in debt, or take away money from their pockets that they ought to use to invest in their own futures. While I may not neccessarily see the need to spend on such an occasion, it is an interesting way to compare my own culture to the one I´m currently living in. Some things are just more important.