Friday, June 5, 2009

SCAD Pearls - Commencement 2009

I got an email a few weeks before the end of the Spring 09 quarter saying this:

Would you like to participate in SCAD Commencement? Would you like to be a Pearl? To celebrate SCAD’s 30th anniversary, the university will present the “String of Pearls Parade” at Commencement in Savannah May 30. Interested volunteers must be available for rehearsal Friday, May 29, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The performance takes place Saturday, May 30, prior to the processional of graduates. Residence hall extensions may be granted to volunteers.

It looks unoffending, right? So innocently worded? They even offered to extend living in the dorms for a WHOLE weekend! Instead of having to fight everyone in Weston Hall to move out by 5pm on Friday (and risk being fined $100) I had three entire days to get everything into the new Carriage House!

So what, you ask, does this "String of Pearls Parade" involve? My first thoughts were: "kind of like ballroom dancing class- classy." and "we are going to wear pearls and look cute in a graduation procession of some sort" This, plus moving out later (and I later found out that it included a free lunch and fifty bucks) equals I'M IN!!

Man oh man. Was I in for an exciting surprise!

I get there and my actress/dancer friend Adelle is there! Then she says something to the effect of "Oh I'm glad you're here so we can do (I heard 'get through') this together" As in, doing this alone is.. adventurous.

Turns out she'd been a SCAD Pearl before! And she kind of loved it! We went into a back room and changed into our costumes and Let. Me. Just. Say. I felt RIDICULOUS! The next couple of hours of rehearsal I went through several emotional phases..

1. Shame


2. Acceptance



3. "I'm going to dance my booty off for all it's worth!"

Moral of the story: The only one who looks silly in a crowd of people who are all silly, is the one who isn't being silly.
______________________________

And for you visual enjoyment, some actual photos from the actual graduation! Actually!
(c/o Adelle, Scad, Flickr, and the prnt scrn button)


This dressing room photo was taken "post-shame".


Right before our call time.
You can almost feel our butterflies coming through your computer screen!



Our costumes were collapsible for easy storing. How promiscuous!


LOOK AT ALL THOSE PEOPLE!
I'm so glad I quit caring that looked like a doofus! Honestly, I bet it looked pretty awesome from above, but I didn't find any above photographs.



3 comments:

Jessica li Britannia said...

haha you're so silly...that looks like so much fun! i'm surprised you were embarrassed in the first place lol.

and shame on you, you former RA, for calling a residence hall a dorm :P

Unknown said...

hahahhaha you make my tummy jiggle from laughing and my heart burst with love... simultaneously!

Courtney Brooke Vaughan said...

Susanna: Thanks! I just hope your heart bursts in a happy way, not in a way that will put you in the hospital!

Pepper Ann: I know I know! I just found out yesterday that SCAD has the same thing about not calling them dorms.. I can't help it though! They feel so dorm-ish to me!