Hammel Graduation Ceremony, June 24, 2011
Jun 24, 2011 18:05:52 GMT -5
Post by Claude Harris on Jun 24, 2011 18:05:52 GMT -5
Claude had never had a problem with public speaking. Though he'd never taken a class or a lesson on it, he felt comfortable talking in front of a crowd. He'd read somewhere that this, of all things, was something many people feared. Even today, when he was dreading his remarks, it was because of what he had to say, not the number of people he was saying it to.
He was probably just lucky.
The auditorium had the senior class sitting in the first few rows, the Hammel Board of Directors and staff behind them, and family and friends filling up the rest of the seats. Though a lot of Hammel students and staff were there to watch, it wasn't a mandatory event. It wasn't even particularly formal. No robes or hats, just nicely-framed diplomas and the expectation that the graduating class knew better than to wear jeans.
At precisely 3:00pm, Claude walked out on stage. He adjusted the microphone and cleared his throat, looking out at the faces he recognized so well. Kate, his wife, smiled up at him. He had good enough mental shields that only her and the board knew what he would be saying that day.
"Good afternoon, and welcome to the 2011 Graduation Ceremony for the Hammel Institute."
"I have not been the Head of the Institute for long, but I have been a faculty member for long enough to know each of the students sitting in these first few roads. I am proud of every one of them, and you should be too. These fine young men and women have dedicated themselves to their studies, and we are here today to wish them the best of luck as they go out into the world."
"I am not a speechwriter, so I will leave the idealism to our keynote speakers. I do have one piece of more solumn news, however. This will be my last month at the Hammel Institute. I waited for now for my announcement because it seemed fitting. This is a time for all of us to consider our next stages in life." He cracked a smile at the front row, and added, "Class of 2011, you are just getting to the good part now. Enjoy it. You are young, and you are ready for what is to come." He paused then, and then cleared his throat again.
"With us today are some special guests our staff might recognize. Lenore Sanders and Moira Patel are graduates of Hammel, and currently work for the Department of Health and Human Services. Please join me in welcoming them back to Hammel." He stepped aside and applauded politely as two identical women walked onstage.
((This thread is now open. Lenore and Moira's speech will be posted on June 26, so if you wish to write a post establishing your characters at the graduation, what they're doing/thinking, or anything else, go ahead.))
He was probably just lucky.
The auditorium had the senior class sitting in the first few rows, the Hammel Board of Directors and staff behind them, and family and friends filling up the rest of the seats. Though a lot of Hammel students and staff were there to watch, it wasn't a mandatory event. It wasn't even particularly formal. No robes or hats, just nicely-framed diplomas and the expectation that the graduating class knew better than to wear jeans.
At precisely 3:00pm, Claude walked out on stage. He adjusted the microphone and cleared his throat, looking out at the faces he recognized so well. Kate, his wife, smiled up at him. He had good enough mental shields that only her and the board knew what he would be saying that day.
"Good afternoon, and welcome to the 2011 Graduation Ceremony for the Hammel Institute."
"I have not been the Head of the Institute for long, but I have been a faculty member for long enough to know each of the students sitting in these first few roads. I am proud of every one of them, and you should be too. These fine young men and women have dedicated themselves to their studies, and we are here today to wish them the best of luck as they go out into the world."
"I am not a speechwriter, so I will leave the idealism to our keynote speakers. I do have one piece of more solumn news, however. This will be my last month at the Hammel Institute. I waited for now for my announcement because it seemed fitting. This is a time for all of us to consider our next stages in life." He cracked a smile at the front row, and added, "Class of 2011, you are just getting to the good part now. Enjoy it. You are young, and you are ready for what is to come." He paused then, and then cleared his throat again.
"With us today are some special guests our staff might recognize. Lenore Sanders and Moira Patel are graduates of Hammel, and currently work for the Department of Health and Human Services. Please join me in welcoming them back to Hammel." He stepped aside and applauded politely as two identical women walked onstage.
((This thread is now open. Lenore and Moira's speech will be posted on June 26, so if you wish to write a post establishing your characters at the graduation, what they're doing/thinking, or anything else, go ahead.))
