Out and about
May. 29th, 2005 12:54 amThe last night before graduation has a way of being amazing.
In this case it started with a roundsing at 7:00, relatively lightly-attended but quite happy. That segued into standing around with a bunch of people chatting on Parrish Beach East while waiting for fireworks to start, and then the fireworks. This is the third or fourth year they've had this the night before graduation, launching from in front of Old Tarble, and I think this year they've finally gotten it perfect: many many near-simultaneous launches of all kinds of 'works at once, all over in maybe a dozen minutes but so much fun while it lasts. It was essentially four Grand Finales one after another, instead of launch-one-at-a-time-and-wait-for-people-to-go-ooh lasting 45 minutes like they'd done previously. It was much more thrilling this way, and after the first dozen minutes you've basically got the idea and aren't getting as much out of more of the same, anyway.
Then Chris S., Joanna, Jameson, Mary and I went to Cheng Hing, and afterwards were joined by Noda and Chris W. for a Crumwalk. The sky was clear but foggy, making the woods into a trust exercise, with each person straining to follow the light clothing of the person in front of them and in places stopping to guide the next over drops or logs. It helped that we paused early on to sing a few rounds while our eyes dark-adapted. We went in behind the athletic buildings, got to the meadow and watched stars (and a SEPTA train shooting by), sang some more (of course including 'Though My Soul May Set in Darkness') and talked before heading onward towards campus, exiting at Danawell. It was such an exciting yet peaceful feeling to be venturing out into the darkness together. There was no Orientation Trustwalk the year I matriculated, so I can't say it felt just like that. But it felt like what I imagine that would have felt like. And it felt good.
In this case it started with a roundsing at 7:00, relatively lightly-attended but quite happy. That segued into standing around with a bunch of people chatting on Parrish Beach East while waiting for fireworks to start, and then the fireworks. This is the third or fourth year they've had this the night before graduation, launching from in front of Old Tarble, and I think this year they've finally gotten it perfect: many many near-simultaneous launches of all kinds of 'works at once, all over in maybe a dozen minutes but so much fun while it lasts. It was essentially four Grand Finales one after another, instead of launch-one-at-a-time-and-wait-for-people-to-go-ooh lasting 45 minutes like they'd done previously. It was much more thrilling this way, and after the first dozen minutes you've basically got the idea and aren't getting as much out of more of the same, anyway.
Then Chris S., Joanna, Jameson, Mary and I went to Cheng Hing, and afterwards were joined by Noda and Chris W. for a Crumwalk. The sky was clear but foggy, making the woods into a trust exercise, with each person straining to follow the light clothing of the person in front of them and in places stopping to guide the next over drops or logs. It helped that we paused early on to sing a few rounds while our eyes dark-adapted. We went in behind the athletic buildings, got to the meadow and watched stars (and a SEPTA train shooting by), sang some more (of course including 'Though My Soul May Set in Darkness') and talked before heading onward towards campus, exiting at Danawell. It was such an exciting yet peaceful feeling to be venturing out into the darkness together. There was no Orientation Trustwalk the year I matriculated, so I can't say it felt just like that. But it felt like what I imagine that would have felt like. And it felt good.
no subject
Date: 2005-05-29 07:42 am (UTC)Thanks for being around tonight, what fun it was!