DC3

I put on a dress shirt and khakis for the awards ceremony. I didn’t have to cut off my air supply with a tie yet, but that would come tomorrow. We took a bus to the Dorothy Betts Marvin theatre, and it seemed that we could’ve gotten there faster by walking. Oh well, we got there eventually, waited to go inside the actual theatre. In the meantime, we went to the bookstore where we browsed. Well, they browsed; I offered immoral support. Then we went back upstairs and into the theatre.

We went into the theatre, and Mark went to an undisclosed location where he encountered Dick Cheney. There was a string quartet there that was very good, or at least we thought so. After a time listening to them, the award recipients processed in, and—surprisingly—“Pomp and Circumstance” was played. Then the awards began to be handed out. Award category after award category passed; then it was time for the awards for academic excellence. Three students were called up in succession: Lisa, Mark, and Anthony. They all got awards for having the highest GPA in successive years, and then all of them were told to remain. Mark got two more awards: one of them for having the highest overall GPA in the graduating class, and the other was for a top 3 GPA in the class.

After the ceremony, there were two receptions. Don’t ask me why they couldn’t be satisfied with one; I think it must be lawyer thing. They have 8-page notes, 25-page memos and things called briefs that are anything but. Enough with poking fun at lawyers, or this will never get done.

The smaller reception was held on the first floor of the law school; I can attest it wasn’t dark and stormy in there. I didn’t even run into Dante in there. It seemed pretty crowded already, so I sat in a lobby area while my mom went to get me something. I was waiting for what seemed forever when Mark’s friend Jocelyn came over. She asked if I was Mark’s brother; I grudgingly admitted that I was. She asked if I wanted anything in the way of food, and I said that my mother was going to get me something. I thanked her anyway, which I always do when people offer assistance. Even if I don’t need it, I appreciate the gesture from perfect strangers because it so seldom happens. Usually it happens that when I don’t need assistance people are there to help, but when I do need assistance no one is there. Of course I can’t see, so sometimes no doubt I just don’t see when people offer assistance.

It seemed as if I waited another eternity and then my parents and Mark came back. I drank the water that they brought, and mom drank her diet coke. Then we left; there was nothing really good foodwise, and it was very crowded. Mark had run into some of his professors I think, but he said it didn’t hurt. Mark did introduce us to some of his friends before the reception.