1.”College Girl and the rest of the sculpture majors are toward the very back, so we won’t see her at all from our seats in the balcony.”

2. “I am glad they got this goofy saxophone ensemble to play Pomp and Circumstance. I have never heard it played quite this uniquely before. I like it fun.”

3. “Those caps are the best-decorated I have ever seen. Glitter and sequins and flashing lights. Is that a bird on top of that one? But this is fitting for art school, when you think about it.”

4. “The commencement speaker wants all the grads to ‘brand’ themselves and learn from their failures? Brilliant advice.”

5. “Wow, look at all the smart, hard-working graduates out there–dancers and actors and musicians and artists, making the world a better place for us.”

6. “Oh my goodness, she doesn’t realize she has a whole clean slate ahead of her now, does she?”

7. “OK, so when they call her name and she walks across the stage, we all need to wave and scream.”

8. “Brown hoods for the art school grads? No worries. Who’s going to look at your hood if you are wearing fabulously colorful and/or sparkly shoes?”

9. “The announcer just mispronounced both her first name and her last name. Geesh!”

10. “Aw, I like how this is probably the fifth time today they have mentioned that the VCU School of the Arts is the number one ranked public art school in the country.”

11. “I didn’t think I was going to cry, but I am.”

12. “Yes, she is supposed to meet us afterwards, but she is still inside where it is nice and dry and we are now outside in the pouring rain.”

13. “I am so proud of my baby girl.”