September 30, 2009
September 28, 2009
Bomb Threat at my HS Graduation
Our graduation was supposed to be held outside on the football field. But due to rain forecasted for the afternoon, they made the decision to move it inside to the gym. Each student had six tickets. All six were good for the football field, but if it was inside, only two were good for the gym, two were good for a simulcast in the auditorium, and two were worthless for indoors.
Our parents (or whoever had the two tickets) watched us march into the gymnasium, and we took our seats. Our principal then went to the microphone and alerted us that there had been a bomb threat made on the gym. Everyone was told to evacuate and the decision was made to hold the graduation on the football field. It turned out, the day was gorgeous, sun shining, no rain in sight.
We would find out later that the phone call had been made from the payphone in front of the school. So very likely it was an upset grandparent (or whoever didn’t have a ticket to the gym) angry that the didn’t get to watch! Solution: call in a bomb threat!
The graduation itself ended up being a mess. They didn’t have time to put us in the right seats, so they just told us to sit roughly were we were before. I’d say about 50% of us were in the right spot. Kids were all riled up, and were rowdy. 20+ beach balls were blown up and tossed up. Girls tossed their bras. The principal was booed on stage. People talked all through the speeches by the valedictorian and salutatorians (we had two.) Then, because the diplomas had been left inside because of the bomb threat, they had nothing to hand to us on stage when we walked. Due to the rowdy students, the stress of the bomb threat, and people sitting wherever they pleased, the names being called to cross the stage didn’t match up with who was exactly crossing. They started speeding us up to get across to end this mess of a graduation, so when it was my “turn” to cross, they were still on last names to letters before mine! I attempted to wait, and didn’t walk across until it was actually my turn. My two best friends on the other hand took the opportunity to walk up one after the other, since no one was paying attention to the names anyway. At the end, when we were supposed to process out in an orderly fashion, people just got up and walked away.
In the end, I didn’t mind, and my parents didn’t mind as long I was happy. My personality would typically prefer an organized event, but I was not upset. It was rowdy, unruly, and had a bomb threat, but graduation still meant a lot to me, and I still got what I wanted out of it: a good story and (an hour after the event) my diploma.
Our parents (or whoever had the two tickets) watched us march into the gymnasium, and we took our seats. Our principal then went to the microphone and alerted us that there had been a bomb threat made on the gym. Everyone was told to evacuate and the decision was made to hold the graduation on the football field. It turned out, the day was gorgeous, sun shining, no rain in sight.
We would find out later that the phone call had been made from the payphone in front of the school. So very likely it was an upset grandparent (or whoever didn’t have a ticket to the gym) angry that the didn’t get to watch! Solution: call in a bomb threat!
The graduation itself ended up being a mess. They didn’t have time to put us in the right seats, so they just told us to sit roughly were we were before. I’d say about 50% of us were in the right spot. Kids were all riled up, and were rowdy. 20+ beach balls were blown up and tossed up. Girls tossed their bras. The principal was booed on stage. People talked all through the speeches by the valedictorian and salutatorians (we had two.) Then, because the diplomas had been left inside because of the bomb threat, they had nothing to hand to us on stage when we walked. Due to the rowdy students, the stress of the bomb threat, and people sitting wherever they pleased, the names being called to cross the stage didn’t match up with who was exactly crossing. They started speeding us up to get across to end this mess of a graduation, so when it was my “turn” to cross, they were still on last names to letters before mine! I attempted to wait, and didn’t walk across until it was actually my turn. My two best friends on the other hand took the opportunity to walk up one after the other, since no one was paying attention to the names anyway. At the end, when we were supposed to process out in an orderly fashion, people just got up and walked away.
In the end, I didn’t mind, and my parents didn’t mind as long I was happy. My personality would typically prefer an organized event, but I was not upset. It was rowdy, unruly, and had a bomb threat, but graduation still meant a lot to me, and I still got what I wanted out of it: a good story and (an hour after the event) my diploma.
September 13, 2009
Nerds and girls
I overheard the following at my university's football game last week from an undergraduate fan sitting in front of me:
"I just don't understand girls. Can I trade my girlfriend in for a helicopter?"
I knew coming in that my university is mostly a bunch of nerds...myself included.
"I just don't understand girls. Can I trade my girlfriend in for a helicopter?"
I knew coming in that my university is mostly a bunch of nerds...myself included.
September 11, 2009
Auto Lifting
Pulled up to the top of a highway on-ramp the other evening. Looked over at the car to my left, and saw the driver doing bicep curls. He was using at least a 30 lb. weight. I suppose if you spend lots of time driving and thus waiting at red signals, you can multi-task and get in your workout too.
My friend and I tried to get a picture, but he finished his set before we could get our camera out.
My friend and I tried to get a picture, but he finished his set before we could get our camera out.
September 8, 2009
Texline, TX and those other capitals
My friend who reads my blog found another city which is closer to six capital cities than its own state capital: Texline, Texas! Located in the northwestern part of the Texas Panhandle, Texline is incredibly far from Austin, but a lot closer to the capitals of New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Kansas, and Nebraska! And unlike Robbinsville, NC, Texline is closer in both straight line distances and travel distances.
| Capital City | As The Crow Flies (mi) | Road Travel (mi) |
| Santa Fe, NM | 170 | 226 |
| Denver, CO | 255 | 313 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 315 | 385 |
| Cheyenne, WY | 343 | 412 |
| Topeka, KS | 442 | 496 |
| Lincoln, NE | 460 | 590 |
| Austin, TX | 520 | 648 |
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