Commencement – Albion, Michigan (2001)
Our family booked the entirety of the new bed and breakfast on West Erie Street. There we had breakfast before heading to campus for the Commencement ceremony.
Erik was a good friend throughout my time at Albion. We sang together in the choir and overall had a very cheerful and uplifting exchange.
A last minute change of venue for a party for family and friends occurred. We had planned something at the house of friends on the west side of time. After a shooting, however, we opted to move the location to The Observatory on campus. Of all the academic buildings I felt most connected with this one. The Honors program had its headquarters here. A few dozen family, close friends, and several professors and staff joined us for a light reception.
Here my dad and Thomas Gladney were either putting up some balloons or taking them down. If my recollection is correct, they got tangled on the light post on the way into the Observatory.
I took a moment to reflect at the memorial of an Albion classmate who passed away during my time on campus. We sang a Requiem concert for her, and I was among those who offered consolation to her family. Her loss was something that touched me profoundly.
One final picture of me with Robinson Hall, which is the very same location of the “Central Building,” one of the earliest buildings on campus. Flanked by North Hall and South Hall, this is where much of the academic and residential life occurred during the first few decades from the 1830s to 1850s. Also one of the most photographed buildings with its iconic cupola, here is where I said my final goodbye. After one last loop around the quad, I was the last student to leave. As one chapter ended, another began.