My nephew James Robert Lightfoot (a.k.a. Bobby) graduated Monday from Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, IN.
The 46th annual commencement was scheduled for 4 p.m. outside by the amphitheatre. They had a tent set up for the faculty members of the platform party with the thousand graduates given seats at the front facing the platform.
There were seats on the parking lot behind the graduates for many of the 6,000 expected family and guests. Other people brought — such as us — brought lawn chairs and set up behind the parking lot on the grass.
The weather was supposed to be clear until evening, but by the time the platform party had arrived there was the sound of distant thunder. By the time the national anthem was done, they had made the decision to revise the order of the program. They announced they would be handing out the diplomas first, and then do the rest of the program if weather allowed. So they started with the switching of the tassels.
Then came the announcement from the weather service, and everyone was dismissed inside until it passed.
So we all got inside, and then waited a short while, until the announcement came that the ceremony was done, and they weren’t going to finish it.
Thus the ceremony was done, and the celebrating began. The Lightfoot clan went out with Bobby to Famous Dave’s for some barbecue.
At The Rainbow 