What is a US style graduation?

[lucky_kari]

This is a Canadian graduation, but basically US-style. 

I graduated May 2001. Anyone who looks eligible to pass Grade 12 in 
about January got to come. If you didn't pass Grade 12, you were 
barred from attending another graduation the next year. :-)

On the day of the graduation, the Opera House was booked. The students 
marched in as the Symphonic Band played that theme from Star Wars, 
everyone in blue robes with the scholars' hats that had to be rented 
beforehand. For a boring four hours, everyone sat on the floor 
listening to the Valedictorian, the Principal, the Superintendant, the 
Chairs (local media personalities), the Trustee, the Head of the 
Leadership Committee, the Head of the Grad Committee, the winners of 
every award you could think of, intersparsed with performances by the 
Jass Choir, against a very expensive background. Then, one by one all 
650 students walked across the stage, shaking hands with the 
principal, and receiving a fake diploma.

Three days later was the Prom at the biggest convention centre in the 
city, overlooking the nicest view in the city. The food was really 
bad, though. For that occasion, everyone was decked out in dresses 
starting at $250 (mine) and going considerably higher. More boring 
speeches. Lots more boring speeches. Some people rent their own 
limousines, a substantial bunch. Supposedly, dancing afterwards but 
since lots of parents there, after the prom most people ditched their 
parents and headed off to after-prom parties. 

A glorification of crass commercialism, materialism etc. If I ever 
have my own children, I'm going to suggest taking them on a trip to 
the mountains rather than attending their graduation/prom. 

I would be profoundly disappointed if Harry, Ron, and Hermione were to 
engage in such pathetic behaviour. I expect a huge party, but I don't 
see Hermione breaking her parent's bank on a dress from Madame 
Malkin's, and Ron sulking because his parents won't foot the bill for 
his own flying limousine.

Eileen

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "alhewison" <Ali at z...> wrote:
> This is a bit of a confession. It annoys me when I see posts about 
> Harry's graduation, or about any Hogwart's Graduation. In England, 
> Graduation ceremonies only take place for degrees, in tertiary 
> education, and not for secondary education. Students don't get their 
> results for weeks after term has ended, and the way our exam system 
> works, you can pass a whole stack of subjects - or none, so what 
> would you be a graduate of?  
> 
> BUT,
> 
>  a couple of weeks ago, I read an article about how some British 
> schools are now having a US style "Prom" - forgive me if this isn't 
> the right wording. In Britain this could equate to nothing more than 
> a celebration without exam results being involved. Well, it then 
> occured to me that as the WW doesn't seem to have a University, then 
> they could perhaps have some kind of ceremony to mark the 
> official "Qualification" of the young wizards- AKA a "graduation". 
We 
> have not been told how the OWL or NEWT system works, so I suppose 
> that to be a "fully qualified" wizard as opposed to a an "of age" 
> wizard, there might be a requirement for a certain number of exam 
> passes.
> 
> Anyway, sorry for all that waffle, it's just made me wonder how the 
> US system works. Are there a standard number of subjects that have 
to 
> be passed? Is the standard set across States or across the Country 
as 
> a whole? can true comparisons be made from one school to another - 
> for instance, With our A'Levels: the standard is arguably the same 
> for whatever subjects you choose to take wherever you take them (In 
> England & Wales). 
> 
> 
> Ali
> 
> Who doesn't think that Harry would ever have gone trick-or-treating. 
> It's still in its infancy here as we have Bonfire Night only a few 
> days later. Some kids do go out, but 10 years ago I think it would 
> have been quite rare. When I was growing up, Halloween 
> was "celebrated" by eating toffee apples, having apple-dunking 
> competitions and blindfold tasting tests. I don't remember any 
> sinister links to satanism, but just a low key bit of fun.