Graduation

Today I'm going to continue to talk about my experiences as a student, but I'm going to talk about one specific thing: graduation.

今日は私の学生時代の経験について話します。卒業式について話します。

The only major graduation ceremonies that are in my city are high school graduations. My high school graduation was held at an activity center in our city because our high school gym was not big enough for the event. There were about 460 students graduating from my school that year.

私たちの町で一番大切な卒業式は高校のです。私の高校の体育館は狭すぎたので、イベントセンターでしました。２００５年に、私の高校から４６０人ぐらいが卒業しました。

At my high school graduation

Graduating students and teachers wear specific clothing at the graduation ceremony. The students wear a long robe that is usually one of the school's colors. My school's colors were green, orange, white, and silver. My graduation robe was green. Every students wears the robe, but some students can add things to their robes. For example, I was in the top 10 percent of my class so I was allowed to wear a yellow cord around the back of the neck. I was also in the National Honors Society and the Spanish National Honors Society. They are clubs you can join in high school and they have their own stoles which you wear over your graduation robe. There is also a mortarboard cap the same color of the robe with a colored tassel on top. The tassel hangs on one side of the cap during the ceremony and then is moved to the other side when the ceremony is over. Many people also throw their caps into the air after the ceremony in celebration.

高校生と先生たちは卒業式のために特別な服を着ます。高校生は高校の色をしているローブを着ます。私の高校の色は緑とオレンジと白と銀ので、私のローブは緑でした。高校生はみんなそのローブを着ますが、ときどき別の物も付けます。例えば、私は学年の上位１０％の中にいましたので、首の回りに金色をしているコードを付けました。それと、二つのクラブに入っていましたので、特別なストールも付けました。そして、ローブと同じ色をしていて、タッセルが付いている角帽をかぶります。そのタッセルは卒業式の時に左側につけているけれど、卒業式が終わったら右側につけます。卒業式が終わるとその角帽を上に投げる人たちもいます。

Underneath the robe, people generally wear semi-formal clothing. Teachers usually wear black robes for high school graduation ceremonies, but their clothing will be from the university they graduated from.

My university graduation

ローブの下にちょっとフォーマルな服を着ます。先生たちはたいてい黒いローブを着ますが、人によってちがいます。

Students are seated in the event center in order of GPA. Several people make speeches including the top two students. Then the students line up and cross the stage to receive their diploma holders from the school principal. The holders are empty so that students are encouraged to behave well during the ceremony. The diploma is mailed to them sometime later. The students are called out by name with any special distinctions they earn. For example, one student in my class had 12 years of perfect attendance. He didn't miss even one day of school!

高校生はGPAの順番で座ります。いろいろな人と学年で最高の二人の学生がスピーチをします。 その後、高校生がステージの隣に並んで、自分の名前を聞くとステージの方に上がって、校長先生から修了証のホルダをもらいます。高校生が行儀よくするためにフォルダの中には何も入っていません。卒業式の後で郵便でもらいます。時々名前だけではなくて、先生は特別なこともみんなに教えます。例えば、私の学年の一人の男性は１２年間無欠席でした！

After the graduation ceremony many people have parties or go to dinner with large groups.

卒業式の後で、たいていみんなはパーティーやレストランなどに家族と行きます。