Without question the most popular picture location at Penn State University is the Nittany Lion Shrine on the west end of the University Park campus. It’s a 13-ton block of Indiana limestone that was molded into the most recognizable symbol of Penn State and has stood near the Recreation Building since 1942. We took a picture there of my son Brandon and daughter Alex in August of 2004 when we dropped him off for school and pledged to recreate it at graduation…fortunately Mother Nature cooperated.
Brandon was one of 1,086 graduates of the College of Health and Human Development to receive their degrees Saturday afternoon in the Bryce Jordan Center…this was just one of the 13 ceremonies held on campus over the weekend. We joined thousands of parents, relatives and friends in the 90-minute program with all of us waiting anxiously to hear the only name we really cared about….sort of a final proof that they really did graduate. The forecast called for thunderstorms most of the afternoon but except for a brief drizzle or two we had a pretty good day so after the commencement we were able to take pictures at the bronze statue of football Coach Joe Paterno outside Beaver Stadium and of course the Nittany Lion Shrine. We were not alone and waited for about a half-hour to recreate the picture of my son and daughter…he of course in cap and gown.
This was really a last hurrah for the graduating class of 2008 and most did not seem to want it to end. I’ve always had this impression that many young people don’t appreciate how much fun their college days were until much later but I can tell you those I talked to this weekend know these last four years were truly the times of their life. Many are not sure what tomorrow will bring as they search for that first job and even those that have jobs don’t know what to expect from the real world.
It’s called growing up and it’s the next stage of life. Welcome to it my son!
Brandon was one of 1,086 graduates of the College of Health and Human Development to receive their degrees Saturday afternoon in the Bryce Jordan Center…this was just one of the 13 ceremonies held on campus over the weekend. We joined thousands of parents, relatives and friends in the 90-minute program with all of us waiting anxiously to hear the only name we really cared about….sort of a final proof that they really did graduate. The forecast called for thunderstorms most of the afternoon but except for a brief drizzle or two we had a pretty good day so after the commencement we were able to take pictures at the bronze statue of football Coach Joe Paterno outside Beaver Stadium and of course the Nittany Lion Shrine. We were not alone and waited for about a half-hour to recreate the picture of my son and daughter…he of course in cap and gown.
This was really a last hurrah for the graduating class of 2008 and most did not seem to want it to end. I’ve always had this impression that many young people don’t appreciate how much fun their college days were until much later but I can tell you those I talked to this weekend know these last four years were truly the times of their life. Many are not sure what tomorrow will bring as they search for that first job and even those that have jobs don’t know what to expect from the real world.
It’s called growing up and it’s the next stage of life. Welcome to it my son!
1 comment:
Congratulations to Brandon and your family Kevin! You should be one very proud dad!
Post a Comment