On Mother's Day Sunday, me along with 500 others were presented the gift our significant others would be proud of: the gift of everlasting knowledge as University of Alaska Fairbanks graduates in the largest class ever; over 1,300 degrees being conferred throughout the 2 1/2 hour commencement ceremony. And believe me...it was one worth 15 years in the making.
The theme throughout was family, and for Jordan Culver and stepfather Bruce Bell (whom I've known well since the West Valley years), it was quite an affair as Culver earned her justice degree in just three years with Bell holder of a master's degree in education from the University of Alaska Anchorage; they had their graduation a couple weeks ago.
Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Jim Leach, was the keynote speaker and was also one of three honorary degree recipients along with artist Danny Pierce and H. Robin Samuelson Jr. A record 50 doctoral degrees were awarded, breaking last year's record of 46.
But let's get to everything from my own perspective: I was listed in the program as getting an associates' degree in Culinary Arts, but decided to graduate with a certificate instead. Things were a whole lot different from when I last took the walk in 1997 as a West Valley High graduate; for one thing: the march from the Carlson Center hallways, down the aisles, and to our seats with "Pomp and Circumstance" played throughout went by at a much smoother -- and more rehearsed -- pace then last time. It's a far cry from the West Valley gym and the near-sweltering indoor heat; thank God they would move those to the Carlson the following year.
Since the UAF graduation was a far bigger deal than West Valley's, another thing that went by fast and furious: The handout of diplomas with Andrew Cassel trying to take constant sips of water reading the 500-plus names. Cassel himself had to take a brief break from that to pick up his theater bachelor's degree before continuing. By the way, there were a couple distant cheers from the audience when I went up on stage to receive my due. But you know what? Picking up a diploma -- whether it was high school or college -- is like picking up an oversized check from the lottery, except that this one is completely tax-free.
Under that black robe I had on a long-sleeved red and white striped shirt (with my initials "JA" monogrammed on the right sleeve) and dark blue jeans, but I also noticed some of the other graduates wore sneakers, shorts, even flip-flops! Well, at least during the rehearsal on Saturday we were being told to wear comfortable walking shoes; it was not like that in '97 when I had on dress shoes and dress pants. Even a couple graduates jammed on their iPods to help kill time before things got underway at 1:20 pm.
After moving our tassels from right to left and officially being anointed UAF alumni, blue and gold balloons descended from the ceiling followed by some of us throwing our caps in the air (compared to all of us 15 years ago) as well as playing with those balloons. Though I may have shed tears of joy emotionally last time, this time around, I mentally shed those tears while emotionally, I was overjoyed and relieved that it was all over.
It has been quite a journey that took me 15 years to get through, but in the end, I was truly the best of the class of 2012.
Now to another matter at hand: "The Avengers" was tops at the box office again with an additional $100 million to go along with the all-time opening weekend record $200.3 million. A couple weeks prior, "Think Like A Man" was #1.
I saw that in my first trip to the theater in nearly five years, and boy, have things changed...especially in the concession stand! For decades, popcorn, candy, hot dogs, and drinks have been the mainstay; but in the last couple of years (and I think I remember running a "NewsBeat Feature Story" about it several years back on the old Allen Report site), they've added not only pizza, pretzels, and nachos, but now...cheeseburgers with fries, corn dog nuggets, boneless chicken wings, even mozzarella sticks! All of them are made to order, with a counter reserved to pick up your meal.
Now thankfully, all of our multiplexes here in Alaska are with Regal, but rival AMC took things to the next level with what they call Dine-In Theaters. Here's how it works: Go online, find the movie you want to see, and reserve your seat. Simple, huh? Not yet.
The real interesting part comes next: When you get to the theater, actual waiters bring you real menus. Some of the entrees include Bistro Chicken Macaroni and Cheese, Buffalo Chicken Tenders, even Blackened Salmon with Snap Peas. There are also desserts including sundaes and cheesecakes, and even a bar to wash it all down!
Regal, being the #1 theater chain in the country, will probably not follow AMC's lead anytime soon. But with the summer blockbuster season already in full swing despite a fluctuating economy, the term "dinner and a movie" (or "lunch and a movie" if you prefer the matinee screenings) sure got a whole new meaning. So long and stay strong.
