Graduation

By the end of May, there was barely any snow left in town.  Only Frobisher Bay and the distant mountain ranges were covered with patches of snow.  Unfortunately, the disappearance of snow has revealed more than just the brown ground and grey rocks.  Like in every urban centre in the world, proper waste disposal is a challenge.  Despite a city's best intentions, litter can still be found lying on the streets and sidewalks, and unfortunately, Iqaluit is no exception.

            

To make the area around the high school more pristine, a cleanup was organized at the end of last week.  Garbage bags and plastic gloves were handed out to all teachers & students.  Classes were equally divided among the four sections of the school: my class was assigned the rocky hillside behind the school.  I was surprised by the large amount of litter that had accumulated in the area during the winter months.  Much of it had been hidden between the large rocks.  Battling strong winds, we picked up a lot of discarded rubbish and filled many black garbage bags.  As a reward, hotdogs, ice cream, and juice boxes were served at the cafeteria.

            

The highlight of last week was senior graduation on Saturday, June 2.  The class of 2012 comprised of 50 grade 12 students.  The grads had been preparing for the big day since the start of the academic year.  They have had their pictures taken, white grad gowns fitted, invitations sent out, valedictorians chosen, and found dates to the prom.  High school staff were also preparing for the big day by setting up the gym, ordering food & decorations for the after-ceremony reception, selecting an MC & guest speaker, and determining which students will receive awards.  Several teachers also volunteered to supervise the prom.

            

The ceremony was scheduled to begin at 1pm but staff and grads were required to be at the high school at 12:15.  As I walked towards the school on that bright sunny afternoon, I noticed that the Fire Station was holding another fundraising car wash.  Just like the last time, there was a line of mud covered cars waiting to be washed by energetic firefighters.

            

There were quite a number of vehicles parked in front of the high school when I arrived.  Upon entering the building, there was a lot of activity happening.  The grad students were walking around in their white graduation gowns, their faces full of excitement, letting everyone & anyone know that they were graduating.  Teaching staff were formally dressed, a sight I found a bit surprising because I have been used to seeing them wear casual clothing.  Since all the male teachers were wearing dress shirts & ties, I no longer stood out.  Similar to the grads, the teachers & staff also wore specially made gowns but these were black with colourful stripes.  The male version resembles a hooded sweatshirt, called a silapak.  The female version is more elaborate, reaching down to the knees and having a larger hood, as if to carry a child.  This gown is called an amautiq.  Wearing my black hooded silapak, I joined the rest of the teaching staff on the main stair case for a year end staff photo.

The ceremony began with a procession into the gymnasium, led by the teachers.  The gym was packed with families, friends, and guests of the grads.  As the teachers took their seats, the grads walked up the centre aisle in successive pairs.  Each pair received a loud applause from the audience.  In front of the stage stood a table with a lighted quilliq (oil lamp).  The quilliq is a crescent shaped cup of carved soapstone, filled with oil from blubber or seal.  The Inuit used the quilliq to heat their tents, melt snow for water, cook food, and dry their clothes.  It is now used for ceremonial purposes.  Next to the quilliq lay a silver tray.  Before walking up the centre aisle, the grads were each given a red candle to light from the quilliq and place it on the tray.  This ritual is known as the Lighting of the Quilliq.  Afterwards, the grads took their seats on two assigned bleachers, located on both sides of the quilliq.

            

The Master of Ceremonies was Joanna Awa, a well known Inuit reporter who has been working for the CBC since 1984.  She has also worked as a radio announcer and producer.  She welcomed everyone to the graduation ceremony and called up Reverend Mike Gardner to do the Invocation.  The Honourable Eva Aariak, premier of Nunavut, spoke after Invocation, talking about the importance of education and at how proud she was that another one of her children was graduating high school.  The Keynote Address was given by Andrew Morrison, a former student of Inuksuk High.  He is well liked by the student body due to his happy & energetic personality.  

            

A valedictorian is a title given to a student who gives a student-oriented speech at a graduation ceremony.  For this ceremony, there would be three valedictorians.  Margo Crawford spoke in English, Geneva Noble spoke in Inuktitut, and Brittany Masson spoke in French.  All three ladies did a great job sharing their memories of high school and thoughts about the future.

            

It wouldn't be a graduation ceremony without awards and there were a lot of awards to give out.  Fourteen to be exact.  The first one was the Inuksuk Arts Awards.  Linda Grant, the arts teacher, and I presented the awards to the lucky grads.  The other award categories were: Badminton, Inuktitut, Robotics, Quilliq's Wise Woman, Northern Properties, and the Principal's Awards, just to name a few.

            

Taking a break from focusing on the graduating class, the next part of the ceremony was called 'Grad's Dedication To Parents'.  If it wasn't for the love and support of their parents, the fifty senior students probably wouldn't have graduated.  As a way of saying thank you, each graduate was given a flower to hand to their parents.  Let's just say there were several tear-jerking moments in the crowd.   

            

Finally, the most important moment came: the handing out of diplomas.  The graduates lined up in front of a staircase leading onto the stage and waited for their names to be called.  Many parents & friends moved to the front of the seating area, eager to take photographs with their digital cameras.  One by one, each student walked across the stage with a smile on their face, and walked off with a diploma in their hands & a heightened feeling of empowerment.  When all the diplomas were handed out, the fifty graduates threw their white top hats into the air.  If I had known earlier, I would have snapped a photo.  When I graduated high school so many years ago, we threw our top hats after the ceremony.   

            

Of course, Terry Young, the principal, concluded the ceremony with a speech of his own.  In his closing remarks, he reflected on the many students who have graduated under his leadership and how he's kept in touch with many of them.  He also gave important advice to the current graduates on how to proceed beyond high school, be it university, college, or the workplace.  When he concluded his speech, the ceremony officially came to an end and everyone headed to the cafeteria for reception. 

            

Reception consisted of a variety of desserts and juice boxes.  I ate two pieces of a chocolate cake which was delicious.  I also engaged in small talk with the teachers, several parents, and students.  Apparently, the ceremony was one of the shortest they ever had: 1 hour & 45 minutes.  In the past, they have had grad ceremonies that have lasted up to 3 hours!

            

The prom was also happening at the high school, but in the main foyer square, starting at 8pm.  The centre square had been cordoned off with tall black and red curtains.  Hundreds of glitter covered balls hung from the ceiling above the makeshift dance floor.  Large black cutouts of people dancing were attached to the curtains.  The small stage was decorated to look like a Hollywood movie awards set.  At the base of the stage stood a life size mannequin dressed in a tuxedo behind a makeshift podium.  On the podium sat a guest book, most likely to be signed by the 50 recent graduates.  The entire setting was put together by the art students and I must say that they did a really good job. 

            

I wasn't present at the prom but I heard that there were no problems and that everyone had a good time.  Even though the prom ended at 11pm, cleanup lasted until midnight.  Even though it was the middle of night, there was still light outside.   

            

In conclusion, I would like to personally congratulate all the students who graduated last Saturday.  Completing high school is a huge achievement that opens many new doors, be it university, college, or the workplace.  Just remember that learning is a lifelong experience; it doesn't end at high school.