Not much Pomp but rewarding Circumstances

Today was the graduation ceremony for all the vocational programs that were completed this fall and the choir was on hand for musical help. This ceremony was different than any I've been to but it was a great way to encourage the guys and recognize their accomplishments.

The ceremony was held in our grungy gym surrounded by all the weights. Chairs were set up in two halves of the room - one set for family and the other for the graduates - with at least 100 chairs on either side. The front of the gym had the podium and long tables for the officials with the choir set up before and to the side. Strewn about the gym were decorations and completed projects from the carpentry class, such as a rocking horse and a UT-themed inlaid table.

During the set up and short practice, we lost one of our soloists who was kicked out of the choir on the spot for holding up his pants while singing. One of the guards told the chaplain he was 'holding his crotch' and out he went. Ridiculous. The event started while guests were still coming in and a few of the officials hadn't arrived. The Star-Spangled Banner was sung by a guy who went at such a high speed and pitch that he stopped three quarters of the way through it to figure out how to continue.

Despite the flaws in execution (and there were more than these I've mentioned). This graduation was the first one for many of these guys and it was worth it to see family and show them who they are growing into. There were many proud mothers and fathers who beamed as their grown sons walked the "stage". I'm glad that the prison put the time and effort into making the event happen. Even that small investment can make a huge difference for some of these guys.