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Graduation is a long time away. I mean, seeing how the seventh grade was a boring struggle at the regular school, I can’t seem to grasp the idea of ending my career in school. Instead, I saw other retirements in Guanghua Chinese School, as the ninth grade was graduating. Ironically, most are coming back for AP classes this fall, but no one really cares. As an 8^th grader at school, I am granted the privilege to help traffic as well as set up today. It really is interesting since our school isn’t the richest.

Obviously, the school is not ours, so we cannot do anything too crazy. Not to mention the money is all coming from the families. The school has four main floors, and the graduating class is lined up all along the second. A two-lane flight of stairs leads to the lobby, and instead of ribbon, we had caution taped a lane to stop traffic and to make it seem somewhat more important. None of the kids get the idea of secluding off the section of the “red carpet”, with all said and done, it really doesn’t matter.

CEOs cut the ribbon for new companies. Friends cut the ribbon for party celebrations. Governors cut the ribbon for grand openings. I cut the black and yellow caution tape for a group of ninth-graders who are all blue, outside, and inside. The ceremony of release (The Giver reference) was a simple “give out plastic trophies that get recycled after five years” thing, where everyone had a “great” time. Unfortunately, when our Principle Heng asked if Chinese School was worth it, no one understood what she was saying. Irony at its best. Following the awkward moment was the long phase of awards, and to the graduating class’s distress, the viewing of their baby pictures. Although people expected the feeling to be moving, I was not quite changed. Maybe they should change it up so it wasn’t the same thing for the past seven years. The only time I moved at all was on the way to the restroom.

At last, I got an Excellence Award that meant nearly nothing, as literally another one hundred kids received. As a security officer, I had one of those glow-in-the-dark vests that signified special access and authority to tell kids to shut up. I promptly handed it over to Mom, as she needed it more than I did. Being a photographer, there was much to do, as each parent was expecting a bajillion of pictures of his/her beautiful children. It is technically graduation, but America has a wonderful thing known as AP classes. If we don’t take the AP class, our entire time at this school was wasted. So, everyone would be coming back, graduated or not. Well, I guess we’re stuck together for one more year. Very motivating.

The end of something is usually not celebrated, but graduation is a great feat for students. Unfortunately, some schools have kids come back after graduation, which is quite anti-climactic. However, it still is a memory that is much greater than any recyclable trophy.

【红霞译文】

通往毕业的道路遥远而漫长，眼睁睁看着英文学校初中二年级莘莘学子湮没于水深火热之中，我禁不住萌发退学的念头，恰在这个节骨眼上，一帮即将走出宾州光华中文学校大门、如期完成十年课业的九年级师兄学姐出现在我的面前，他们当中许多人甚至打算秋季返校，毫无介意到这里来学习大学预修课程，令我跌破眼镜。作为八年级在读学生，今天我有幸亲力亲为，不仅上岗执勤维持秩序，同时还帮助布置场地，要知道民办学校手头并不宽裕。

显然，学校不比个人，我们无法随心所欲想干什么就干什么，何况活动经费全部来自学生家庭。教学楼共分四层，毕业班由二楼列队入场。我们装饰从二楼通往一楼庆典大厅台阶的材料不是彩色丝带，而是用来控制交通提醒大家注意的警示胶条，同学们很难把它与“红色地毯”联想在一起，既然本着节约的原则，这么做无可厚非。

老总为新公司开张剪彩，朋友为狂欢派对剪彩，州长为落成典礼剪彩，而我正为那些身着蓝袍的九年级毕业生剪着黑黄相间的警示彩带。发布会（源于电影《赐予者》）上小巧玲珑的塑料奖杯足以在丢进废品回收之前“焕发五年斗志”，学生们无不“心向往之”。当游校长询问毕业班坚持多年学习中文是否值得的时候，在座的毕业生一下子懵到不知如何作答是好。尴尬过后，各种颁奖仪式鱼贯而出，同时他们还与大家共同回顾一路走来的成长足迹，刚才积压在心头的郁闷顿时被一扫而光，如此编排的节目无非为了激励现场观众，但我却勉为其难，也许校方应该考虑换个套路，毕竟过去七年来一直沿用这种形式，当下没有什么比妥善解决内急更令我精神愉悦。

最终我得了优秀学生奖，纯属校方慷慨嘉勉，不无夸张地讲，大概有百八十来名学生获此殊荣。作为庆典活动的保安人员，我身一件穿黑里透亮的背心，因为肩负特殊使命而有权制止任何顽童高声喧哗。我把奖杯交给妈妈，她比我更受鼓舞。今天妈妈专司摄影，需要现场捕捉许多珍贵镜头，以便与各位家长分享无穷无尽的美好瞬间。严格地说，今天我们开的是欢送会，但美国讲究大学预科课程，假如你不选修它们，以前所做的努力势必付之东流。因此不管毕业与否，不久的将来你要重新踏进光华校门，下一年度我们肯定后会有期，多来劲哟。

通常人们不会因为干完事情而举行庆祝活动，但毕业对于学生来说值得大书特书，只不过某些学校想方设法吸引已经毕业的学生重返故地，真敢冒天下之大不韪。然而，这么做远比其它任何具有回收价值的奖杯更历久弥新。

Today in History(历史上的今天):

2015: Adventure of World Heritage in S Europe(探寻南欧文化遗产)

2009: 与孩子同车上下班的路上(Car Pool)