Graduation Day

The day finally came:  May 13, 2017 - Daniel's graduation from the University of Tennessee.

And what a great day it was! We drove up to Knoxville on Friday and got to Thompson-Bowling Arena bright and early on Saturday to get good seats. The ceremony lasted a couple of hours, but the speakers were interesting and it was worth it to see Daniel walk across the stage to receive his well-earned degree.

Fun facts:

• The graduates don't sit in alphabetical order. They are given a placard with their name as they want it read and what degree that they are receiving.
• The diplomas are mailed out later, so the graduates received rolled up fake diplomas.
• The College of Arts and Sciences is the largest college at UT and is the longest commencement
• Daniel received a Bachelor of Music degree in Studio Music and Jazz w/emphasis on Drum Set 
• Daniel and one of his friends, John Dooley (pictured below), have known each other since the fifth grade at Meigs Magnet School and went to Hume-Fogg together before ending up at UT.
• Daniel and his roommate, Luther (also pictured below), also a drummer, met the first week of Freshman year and became fast friends.

He's down there in the section in the foreground, somewhere in the middle

Daniel got to sit with some of his friends

Daniel and John Dooley

Grandma and Mom with the graduate

Analese, Anita, Dad and Noah with the graduate

Mom and Dad with the grad:  We all did it!

 After the ceremony, we headed over to Daniel and Luther's apartment and had a delicious catered lunch with both families. Luther's mom ordered some good Southern food from a local restaurant and I provided a cake. It was a fun time to hear stories of Daniel and Luther's years in the dorm and rooming together and Luther showed us some video from his Senior recital.

Laughing about some antics that Luther and Daniel told about from their dorm days

Luther's Senior recital

Luther and Daniel

We didn't notice until later that the cake has some typos!

Showing their true personalities