Commencement

So in the almost two weeks since I've last posted, much has happened. First, it was the end of the Spring Quarter at Ohio State. This was both happy and sad for me as it marked the end of my four year career as an undergraduate at The Ohio State University. It was also a happy time for me as it meant closure to my career as an undergraduate and is symbolic of new beginnings. I think that's why it's called, "commencement." It's as if we are supposed to "commence" with the rest of our lives.

Finals went well. Really not that interesting and not much to write about. I had my final in Finance on the Thursday of the last week, and studied a little with Brandon beforehand. Then over the weekend before finals week our Table Tennis and Golf finals were posted online and I did those. The week of Finals I had my AED Econ final on Tuesday and my Game Theory final on Wednesday. All went well. On Monday though, probably the biggest news of Finals week was that I decided that I will be attending the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law for Law School next year. I will no longer be up in the air as to where I will be attending. The immense amount of scholarship that I am receiving and the differences in the cost of living in comparison to the numbers in terms of what graduates from other schools are making really factored into why I feel that I will be best fitted to attend Ohio State. As added bonuses go, I will be around my mentor, Cabby, for another three years as well as around my mentees for another few years. I look forward to maintaining these relationships and creating new ones as classes start at Moritz.

Yesterday, the day of Commencement, was a long but great day. My grandfather flew in on Saturday and so after we loaded the suburban with all of my belongings to go home, Julie and I picked him up from the airport and went to lunch and dinner with him. Then on Sunday morning, Beau and Julie joined me as I had breakfast with my mother, my grandmother, and my grandfather. We then walked around campus as we digested our food to enjoy the weather and to kill time. We got a Starbucks coffee before heading back to the stadium where I went in to Graduation mode. I put on my cap and gown with my drab tassel and my Yellow and White Order of Omega cords. I also put around my neck the "Outstanding Senior" medallion and ran to the French Field House in time to line up.

The commencement was a fairly painless experience. The only rough part was the reading of all of the PhD candidates individually. This took a long time. However, the speeches of Rich Hollingsworth, Karen Holbrook, Bill Clinton, and Archie Griffin were all well received. I received my diploma and then ran into my dad, uncle and aunt on the way to meeting my mom, grandma and Julie. Meeting up with my family, we all left to change before heading to Buca Di Beppo's for dinner with all of my extended family: 16 adults and 4 children (my siblings) in all. At Buca's we ate salad with prosciutto and Gorgonzola, a margarita pizza, salmon with pesto, fettucini alfredo, lasagna, a side of grilled vegetables, and tiramisu. Afterwards I hung out for a little bit with Julie, Beau, and my grandpa before taking Julie and Beau back for the night. Grandpa and I then slept in his hotel room before waking up at 4:30 in the morning to get him to the airport in time for his 7:00 flight.

Today I have relaxed, eating lunch at Panera before coming over to my dad's and hanging out with my siblings but mostly reading articles on the internet. I bought the Consumer Reports Electronics Guide and a book called the 4-hour work week that I look forward to reading. I also set up Google Reader in order to read more articles which I hope will be helpful. I'm having dinner here and then heading back over to campus to see Julie and Beau. It's been a crazy few weeks but I am proud and happy to be a graduate from the Ohio State University.