My Commencement/Graduation Party

[VCURamFan]

OK, so I'm still trying to get the pics uploaded (sister-in-law seems to think that "work" is a higher priority), but I figured I could still get this started.

I was up at 7am to get shower/dressed/etc. and we (me, Mom, Dad, brother and Granny & Granddaddy) were out the door by 8:30am. I had to be at the Coliseum by 9am because I was planning in the Commencement Band. So I showed up & was informed that I was going to be paid for this performance. That's right, folks: VCU wasn't content with giving me academic and athletic scholarships my entire collegiate career, they also felt it necessary to pay me to leave!! :laugh:

Anyway, here's a video of our Commencement speaker, Dr. Francis S. Collins. He was hilarious & really entertaining:

Part I (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K1wHSudSPs)
Part II (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFsYmXN_rZ0&feature=related)
Part III (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgT1OvzJzT8&feature=related)

I'll add more as I get the chance.

[MattHughesRocks]

Ben I don't want to see "speakers" I want to see you....and fun stuff! :happydancing:

[Llamafighter]

We demand photos of your relatives getting soused and boxing in the backyard!!

[VCURamFan]

We demand photos of your relatives getting soused and boxing in the backyard!!Sorry, but my parents don't drink, so there was no alcohol served.

[MattHughesRocks]

You know what I have really noticed lately Ben? You spelling. It's been horrible! :unsure-1:

[Bonnie]

Benjamin, I agree with Michelle, and by the looks on the audience's faces they agree with us too. Where's the good stuff, you know, when you streak across the stage flashing everybody. :unsure-1:


:laugh:

[VCURamFan]

You know what I have really noticed lately Ben? You spelling. It's been horrible! :unsure-1:Waht do you epxcet, I'm a gardaute now, I don't need to slpel aynomre!! :laugh:

[MattHughesRocks]

Otherwise Ben, go back....raise hell...post about it.

[VCURamFan]

OK, so here's the pics of my department Graduation. Sorry it's so grainy, but there was crap lighting. I'm honestly surprised any of these came out at all.

VCU Banner:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/CIMG0195.jpg

Interim Dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences, Dr. Fred M. Hawkridge:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/CIMG0196.jpg

Philosophy Department Chair, Dr. Anthony Ellis (in the red floppy hat):
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/CIMG0197.jpg

Waiting for my turn to walk across the stage:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/CIMG0198.jpg

Watching other people graduate:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/CIMG0200.jpg

[VCURamFan]

Of course, once I had gotten my diploma, there were 18 billion pics of me with every configuration of my family members possible.

Walking up to the adoring throng with my buddy Alex:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1003.jpg

Posing with my degree:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/CIMG0202.jpg

Me & Alex:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1004.jpg

My mother:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1013.jpg

My younger brother, Josh:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1012.jpg

My older brother, Ryan:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/CIMG0203.jpg

Three brothers:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/CIMG0204.jpg

Ryan & his wife, Donna:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1005.jpg

My grandparents:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/CIMG0206.jpg

Aunti Terri, Uncle Steve & Kendall:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1009.jpg

The whole family:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/CIMG0211.jpg

Dad was off trying to get the van out of the parking deck, so I got my pic with him once I got home:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/CIMG0213.jpg

[VCURamFan]

And now onto the party!!

Here's what it was all for:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1020.jpg

Donna made this display for me:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1018.jpg

Here's the spread:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/CIMG0218.jpg

Left side of the table (fruit, veggies & chips):
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/CIMG0217.jpg

Right side of the table (hot dogs, burgers, brats, chicken breasts, steak):
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/CIMG0216.jpg

Family watching the horse race:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/CIMG0215.jpg

[VCURamFan]

There were also a ton of deserts there (brownies, cake, pie, etc.), but I don't have any pics of that. I also don't have any pics of the 6 basketball games or the Ultiamte Frisbee game (my teams never lost), but what I do have was the most liberating part of the day.

This is my mother's fire pit:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1021.jpg

These are a ton of my papers & notes:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1022.jpg

This is lighter fluid:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1023.jpg

This is a lighter:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1025.jpg

This is me severing my ties to academia:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1026.jpg

Burn, baby, burn!:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1027.jpg

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1029.jpg

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1031.jpg

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1035.jpg

It is finished:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1039.jpg

[J.B.]

Awesome pics dude, congratulations on graduation! :)

The burning of the notes is classic :laugh:

[VCURamFan]

Awesome pics dude, congratulations on graduation! :)

The burning of the notes is classic :laugh:Thanks man. It was a ton of fun.

[Bonnie]

Those were nice pictures of you and your family, Ben. I love the one of you and your mom. You can see how proud she is of you! :)

Congratulations, again!

[Primadawn]

In the pic of you and both of your brothers, what is that blue thing the little one is holding?:unsure-1:

[Primadawn]

It is finished:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1039.jpg


With a solitary can of Pepsi to bear silent witness...

[Crisco]

I'm going to personally give you a haircut when we meet. I don't care if I need to get on a stepping stool.

[MattHughesRocks]

Ben those are awesome! Thanks! :w00t:

[VCURamFan]

Those were nice pictures of you and your family, Ben. I love the one of you and your mom. You can see how proud she is of you! :)

Congratulations, again! Thanks, Bonnie. She teared up more than once over the weekend.

In the pic of you and both of your brothers, what is that blue thing the little one is holding?:unsure-1: It's a stress ball. I had my degree, Ryan had the fake degree they hand out in the ceremony & I guess Josh wanted to be able to hold something, too...

I'm going to personally give you a haircut when we meet. I don't care if I need to get on a stepping stool.Bring it, little man! :tongue0011:

[Crisco]

Thanks, Bonnie. She teared up more than once over the weekend.

It's a stress ball. I had my degree, Ryan had the fake degree they hand out in the ceremony & I guess Josh wanted to be able to hold something, too...

Bring it, little man! :tongue0011:

Don't write checks you can't cash sir. Hair buzzer by way of crucifix

[matthughesfan21]

congrats, but you need a haircut haha

[Josh]

Way to go man.

[Llamafighter]

Great photos! i'll cut you some slack on the hair, cuz your slacktastic pair of slacks, proves you're no slacker!

[VCURamFan]

Don't write checks you can't cash sir. Hair buzzer by way of crucifixHey, just 'cause you Jersey boys like to pretend you've gone pre-maturely bald doesn't mean that the rest of us can't enjoy our hair. I will counter your clipper crucifix with a Rogaine Omaplata.

[County Mike]

Prematurely bald? :)

How come every professor in a graduation gown looks like he should be teaching at Hogwarts?

[gymcoach97]

There were also a ton of deserts there (brownies, cake, pie, etc.), but I don't have any pics of that. I also don't have any pics of the 6 basketball games or the Ultiamte Frisbee game (my teams never lost), but what I do have was the most liberating part of the day.

This is my mother's fire pit:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1021.jpg

These are a ton of my papers & notes:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1022.jpg

This is lighter fluid:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1023.jpg

This is a lighter:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1025.jpg

This is me severing my ties to academia:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1026.jpg

Burn, baby, burn!:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1027.jpg

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1029.jpg

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1031.jpg

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1035.jpg

It is finished:
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w291/westcottbd/Commencement/IMG_1039.jpg


You know, I hope that you have electronic versions of those papers as they may prove useful in the future. I try to save all of the stuff that I write in case I need to refer back or grab a reference or something in the future. You just never know.

[VCURamFan]

You know, I hope that you have electronic versions of those papers as they may prove useful in the future. I try to save all of the stuff that I write in case I need to refer back or grab a reference or something in the future. You just never know.O, I do, don't worry. I just burned the hard copies.

[Crisco]

O, I do, don't worry. I just burned the hard copies.

Pfft omaplata's are for the long legged gays.

[VCURamFan]

Pfft omaplata's are for the long legged gays.I can identify with half that description. :Whistle:

[Primadawn]

Great photos! i'll cut you some slack on the hair, cuz your slacktastic pair of slacks, proves you're no slacker!

Llama's asking for a beating! It's OK Llama...I've heard about people like you...

[Llamafighter]

Llama's asking for a beating! It's OK Llama...I've heard about people like you...

slackers?

[Crisco]

slackers?

No... Loose womenz...

[VCURamFan]

O, & here's a video my sister-in-law just sent me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN0FtjAwgh8

[Black Mamba]

Thanks for sharing this Ben. :) Great pictures, great vid, and love the torching of your papers. I have a lot of paper work dating back from high school and once I'm done with my degree....burn baby burn! :cool:

[Hughes_GOAT]

silly kids! unless you have copies, you're gonna regret this 10-20 years down the road.

[Black Mamba]

That's why the Man upstairs invented flash drives. :) I have everything backed up. The only work that I would rip someone's head off if they burned it would be my math and science notebooks (especially Calculus).

[Hughes_GOAT]

That's why the Man upstairs invented flash drives. :) I have everything backed up. The only work that I would rip someone's head off if they burned it would be my math and science notebooks (especially Calculus).
always back up, even back up your back ups.

[VCURamFan]

always back up, even back up your back ups.Naaaaaah. I'll only ever need one copy. Period.

[Hughes_GOAT]

Naaaaaah. I'll only ever need one copy. Period.
:laugh: