Missing Graduation

After much debate and discussion, the decision was finally made for me to not attend the University of Michigan graduation in the Big House (our football stadium).

Michigan's graduation each year falls on the same weekend as Regionals. It is up to the Seniors each year to determine if they are going to graduation or Regionals. Whatever is chosen, there are no harsh thoughts or feelings towards those going to graduation. I emailed Jeff Kula and other USA Ultimate people and tried this year to get Regionals on the second available weekend, but there are more schools that graduate then so the weekend of April 30th was chosen. After I heard that, I accepted it with a heavy heart because I knew my parents were going to want me to go to graduation over Regionals. Its something that I accepted and just had to move on from it.

But the other day, I came to a realization that led to an interesting phone call with my parents. At graduation, each Senior is allowed to sit wherever he/she wants - allowing each Graduate to sit among his/her friends. I started to think about who I was going to sit with and it left me stumped. I started to think of my close friends - my house came to my mind first. My house has 5 Ultimate players (out of 6 people total) and only one other is graduating, Becky. Becky and her parents decided for her to skip graduation and attend Regionals. My other close Senior friends are taking a fifth year. My other other close friends have either graduated or are graduating next year. So really, I didn't know who I was going to sit with. Graduation is a time to acknowledge your achievements throughout your college career and to celebrate with your friends the success you've had on the way. If almost all of my close friends were going to be at Regionals, then that is where I wanted to be.

Don't get me wrong - I find the ceremony of Graduation really awesome. But I didn't want to spend the entire time sitting among other random groups of friends thinking about my friends who were going to be playing Ultimate in Rockford, Illinois. These were the people that I spent most of my college career with. I've grown with them, played with them, traveled with them, cried with them, laughed with them, matured with them... Ultimate, and the friends I made within Ultimate, is what defines my college career. THIS is how I wanted to spend my graduation.

To compromise with my parents, I'm attending my department graduation on Friday afternoon. They will still see me graduate, hear my name called (which is actually different than if we went to the one on Saturday), and get to take pictures of me in my cap and gown. But then I will get to go and join my team and play in order to make it to Nationals.

This is how I want my college life to end. I want to be among my team, my friends, and my Flywheel family. Not to mention I want to be with MagnUM guys as well - certain ones in particular being Spencer (my housemate), Jonathan or "JAMP" (my brother), and Jeff (my boyfriend).

I am now SO looking forward to both graduation AND Regionals. I get to graduate, participate in the ceremony, and then play in Regionals as we fight our way to Nationals.

In the end, it all works out.