The Anti-Manichaeist

I went to a graduation ceremony today for the final year of required schooling in Sweden. The Swedish educational system is different from the US system, it´s more like the German system. The students all wore caps that are like a sea captain`s cap. They are white on top with a black lower rim that is lined with a colored ribbon, indicating the type of degree earned, and with a flower-shaped button in the front. The button is in the colors of Sweden, with a blue center and a yellow fringe. On the inside, it is all blue and yellow and is typically signed by one´s classmates. The students all sang for the rest of us. The families of the graduates held up these large signs with the students´ kid pictures and names on them. Friends of the family would give bouquets to the graduates that were then strung around their necks. You would see many graduates afterwards walking around with several bouquets hanging upside down around their necks. There were balloons everywhere and many cars(many of them older classic USAmerican) that had many blue and yellow balloons and fully-leafed tree branches and banners strung around them.

There was even one “float” with this guy sitting by himself at a table with a fake laptop with a coca-cola bottle symbol on it and coca-cola bottles as trailers. Yes, apparently in Sweden there are also nerds whose social interactions are largely confined to the internet, unlike me.

For many of the students, the ones that weren´t driving, the celebrations began immediately. But it seemed like a rather joyous occasion. I have to confess I forgot my camera and I´m still kicking myself over that.

I almost did not go to my own high school graduation ceremony, as I had already been enrolled in college for a year by then and really didn´t like jr high and high school very much. The high school graduation ceremony mainly copied the college ceremonies, with the major difference being that to graduate from high school was, more or less, a cakewalk and of rather little economic significance(meaning it meant next to zip for finding a decent job). I remember being disgusted when they were off by two names when I picked up my diploma. I probably wouldn´t have shown up at all if I had not already picked up the robe so I could get a modest scholarship. My high school was one of the biggest in MN and our class spirit was so strong that less than five percent of the class showed up for the 10th year reunion.

Maybe it is just me, but the traditions surrounding the graduation ceremony in Sweden seem more vibrant. I guess it was a smaller school and had a better sense of community. I never had any school spirit, though I very much appreciate some of the excellent teachers I had. Though many of them have been driven into early retirement, or are trying to transfer to teach abroad, by the school and/or Bush administrations.

dlw