Why is our graduation at Eagle Bank???!!!

[Anonymous]

Parents hung up on the prestige of the graduation venue are the worst example of the shallow, self-important, image-obsessed NOVA jerkwads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parents hung up on the prestige of the graduation venue are the worst example of the shallow, self-important, image-obsessed NOVA jerkwads.

Except no one is, other than perhaps OP, who is probably a troll just like you. You might want to take a walk or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents hung up on the prestige of the graduation venue are the worst example of the shallow, self-important, image-obsessed NOVA jerkwads.

Except no one is, other than perhaps OP, who is probably a troll just like you. You might want to take a walk or something.

Go back and read the comments. How the building gave them "goosebumps" and how they'd never want "Jiffy Lube" printed on the graduation program. It's almost a caricature of a spoiled Real Housewife.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents hung up on the prestige of the graduation venue are the worst example of the shallow, self-important, image-obsessed NOVA jerkwads.

Except no one is, other than perhaps OP, who is probably a troll just like you. You might want to take a walk or something.

Go back and read the comments. How the building gave them "goosebumps" and how they'd never want "Jiffy Lube" printed on the graduation program. It's almost a caricature of a spoiled Real Housewife.

Big meh. If their kid graduated on the Langley football field or Eagle Bank, and not at DAR, they'd be happy, too.

It's hysterical that you get so worked up over someone else's enjoyment of their kid's graduation ceremony. FOMO?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents hung up on the prestige of the graduation venue are the worst example of the shallow, self-important, image-obsessed NOVA jerkwads.

Except no one is, other than perhaps OP, who is probably a troll just like you. You might want to take a walk or something.

Go back and read the comments. How the building gave them "goosebumps" and how they'd never want "Jiffy Lube" printed on the graduation program. It's almost a caricature of a spoiled Real Housewife.

Big meh. If their kid graduated on the Langley football field or Eagle Bank, and not at DAR, they'd be happy, too.

It's hysterical that you get so worked up over someone else's enjoyment of their kid's graduation ceremony. FOMO?

+1000
So much bizarre bitterness from that PP. Sounds like a very unhappy person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Getting goosebumps and feeling "honored" to watch a public high school graduation is the kind of reaction I would expect from a rural mid-westerner or immigrant from a developing country. I can't imagine the self-importance coursing through your veins if public high school graduation at DAR gets you this worked up.

I don't think that there's anything wrong with being honored to watch the graduation. Many families, despite where they're from, are rightly proud. This issue is with insisting that the ceremony itself must take place in a "prestigious" venue. That's ridiculous, though I believe that is likely by-product of the Instagramable generation and life that we now lead. Many (if not most) parents clamoring for DAR likely want to picture op and post at DAR than the do the actual experience. Everything now has to be post worthy so that's more than likely the push. Prestige over function, it would seem

These schools - and others - were graduating at DAR back in the 70s and 80s and likely before then too. It’s a longtime tradition that far precedes the social media age. Are you new to the area? Sure seems like it.

In the olden days high school graduations all throughout Northern Va were held outdoors in the school football stadiums. That began to change in the 80s and then in the 90s for most other schools. Yorktown was one of the first area high schools to book DAR. Then all the others followed like lemmings.

Yes, I know - I grew up here and still remember my school's 1986 DAR graduation. Glad these beautiful local venues continue to be taken advantage of.

I am in the DAR.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only the top high schools get DAR as their graduation venue. McLean, Langley, Madison, Marshall.

Eagle Bank is for the riffraff.

I graduated from Annandale high school back in the 90’s and our graduation was at National Cathedral.

Guess FCPS really has gone downhill!

National Cathedral allowed the riff raff from ANNANDALE to graduate there?!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents hung up on the prestige of the graduation venue are the worst example of the shallow, self-important, image-obsessed NOVA jerkwads.

Except no one is, other than perhaps OP, who is probably a troll just like you. You might want to take a walk or something.

Go back and read the comments. How the building gave them "goosebumps" and how they'd never want "Jiffy Lube" printed on the graduation program. It's almost a caricature of a spoiled Real Housewife.

Big meh. If their kid graduated on the Langley football field or Eagle Bank, and not at DAR, they'd be happy, too.

It's hysterical that you get so worked up over someone else's enjoyment of their kid's graduation ceremony. FOMO?

+1000
So much bizarre bitterness from that PP. Sounds like a very unhappy person.

This thread was literally started by a person worked up and bitter that her child's graduation wasn't at DAR. So no, I'm guessing they wouldn't be happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LAst year I had a graduating senior. I was 100% against doing DAR -- why would people who live in Vienna/Oakton be driving all the way into the city during rush hour on a weekday to see their High School kids graduate? Makes no sense to me.

My priorities were: convenient location + free and plentiful parking. I was totally willing to be outside (field) or at GMU Patriot Center. I hated the idea of dragging to DC in rush hour traffic (did I mention traffic??) and paying to park.

Well... of course the principal didn't listen to me. He listened to all those Vienna parents who HAVE TO STICK WITH TRADITION at DAR. Grrr.

I have to say --- it IS a lovely facility. Much nicer and brighter lighting than GMU. Parking was fine getting into the garage, but a nightmare getting out b/c the parking attendants let 17 cars block our car in. It was nuts! But, once we escaped the garage, traffic was fine getting back to VA.

I still think it's dumb to go to DAR -- but once you go there, you'll probably like the venue.

And if you are at GMU, well, you may not get the prettiest venue, but you get all the parking you could want, you get to stay in Fairfax County, parking is free, and you probably get all the tickets you could want.

So, really, you can look at the bright side of either option and be happy. Or you can focus on the bad parts and be unhappy. Your choice. Both DAR and GMU have their good points.

Well said! I, for one, found DAR to be thrilling and goosebump-inducing. My elderly parents were so proud to see their grandchild graduate in such a historic venue.

DAR means something else to me. Black opera singer Marian Anderson was denied the opportunity to perform in DAR Constitution Hall because of her race. Those are the goosebump-inducing feelings that pervade me.

I appreciate your perspective (NP). People always forget that such a perspective exists. Which makes the prior PP's post a bit tone deaf and lacking in awareness.

I don't even understand how this is relevant. Who cares? Why are we even considering a DC venue for VA kids.

I don't understand your point. Do you want to keep kids from graduating in a beautiful, historic venue because some people are ninnies who just want a big parking lot?

Dude, it's a HS graduation. There's no need for a "beautiful, historic venue" (assessment clearly very subjective and not agreed upon by all) located in downtown DC. Our families and children live in VA, go to school in VA, and we pay tax dollars in VA. No one is in the public high school game for a graduation off in DC. Community and family are the top priorities here. If that's a low brow suburbanite view, I'll take it.

+1

I had 20-plus family members including grandparents comfortably attend multiple children's high school graduations followed by graduation dinners at local nearby restaurants. The memories and togetherness are lasting and lifelong. DAR would have been impossible for my large group. Family is more important than someone else's notion of prestige and elitism.

So weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents hung up on the prestige of the graduation venue are the worst example of the shallow, self-important, image-obsessed NOVA jerkwads.

Except no one is, other than perhaps OP, who is probably a troll just like you. You might want to take a walk or something.

Go back and read the comments. How the building gave them "goosebumps" and how they'd never want "Jiffy Lube" printed on the graduation program. It's almost a caricature of a spoiled Real Housewife.

Big meh. If their kid graduated on the Langley football field or Eagle Bank, and not at DAR, they'd be happy, too.

It's hysterical that you get so worked up over someone else's enjoyment of their kid's graduation ceremony. FOMO?

+1000
So much bizarre bitterness from that PP. Sounds like a very unhappy person.

This thread was literally started by a person worked up and bitter that her child's graduation wasn't at DAR. So no, I'm guessing they wouldn't be happy.

yup.

"A horrendous venue in a mediocre part of Fairfax County. The arena is a literal box and feels like a warehouse more than a venue. Horrendous lighting and acoustics." Bitter and worked up over Eagle Bank. This thread is a case study in deflection.

[Anonymous]

What is DAR???

I googled it, and it's obviously not the Daughters of the Revolution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Getting goosebumps and feeling "honored" to watch a public high school graduation is the kind of reaction I would expect from a rural mid-westerner or immigrant from a developing country. I can't imagine the self-importance coursing through your veins if public high school graduation at DAR gets you this worked up.

I don't think that there's anything wrong with being honored to watch the graduation. Many families, despite where they're from, are rightly proud. This issue is with insisting that the ceremony itself must take place in a "prestigious" venue. That's ridiculous, though I believe that is likely by-product of the Instagramable generation and life that we now lead. Many (if not most) parents clamoring for DAR likely want to picture op and post at DAR than the do the actual experience. Everything now has to be post worthy so that's more than likely the push. Prestige over function, it would seem

These schools - and others - were graduating at DAR back in the 70s and 80s and likely before then too. It’s a longtime tradition that far precedes the social media age. Are you new to the area? Sure seems like it.

In the olden days high school graduations all throughout Northern Va were held outdoors in the school football stadiums. That began to change in the 80s and then in the 90s for most other schools. Yorktown was one of the first area high schools to book DAR. Then all the others followed like lemmings.

Yes, I know - I grew up here and still remember my school's 1986 DAR graduation. Glad these beautiful local venues continue to be taken advantage of.

I am in the DAR.

OK…?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LAst year I had a graduating senior. I was 100% against doing DAR -- why would people who live in Vienna/Oakton be driving all the way into the city during rush hour on a weekday to see their High School kids graduate? Makes no sense to me.

My priorities were: convenient location + free and plentiful parking. I was totally willing to be outside (field) or at GMU Patriot Center. I hated the idea of dragging to DC in rush hour traffic (did I mention traffic??) and paying to park.

Well... of course the principal didn't listen to me. He listened to all those Vienna parents who HAVE TO STICK WITH TRADITION at DAR. Grrr.

I have to say --- it IS a lovely facility. Much nicer and brighter lighting than GMU. Parking was fine getting into the garage, but a nightmare getting out b/c the parking attendants let 17 cars block our car in. It was nuts! But, once we escaped the garage, traffic was fine getting back to VA.

I still think it's dumb to go to DAR -- but once you go there, you'll probably like the venue.

And if you are at GMU, well, you may not get the prettiest venue, but you get all the parking you could want, you get to stay in Fairfax County, parking is free, and you probably get all the tickets you could want.

So, really, you can look at the bright side of either option and be happy. Or you can focus on the bad parts and be unhappy. Your choice. Both DAR and GMU have their good points.

Well said! I, for one, found DAR to be thrilling and goosebump-inducing. My elderly parents were so proud to see their grandchild graduate in such a historic venue.

DAR means something else to me. Black opera singer Marian Anderson was denied the opportunity to perform in DAR Constitution Hall because of her race. Those are the goosebump-inducing feelings that pervade me.

I appreciate your perspective (NP). People always forget that such a perspective exists. Which makes the prior PP's post a bit tone deaf and lacking in awareness.

I don't even understand how this is relevant. Who cares? Why are we even considering a DC venue for VA kids.

I don't understand your point. Do you want to keep kids from graduating in a beautiful, historic venue because some people are ninnies who just want a big parking lot?

Dude, it's a HS graduation. There's no need for a "beautiful, historic venue" (assessment clearly very subjective and not agreed upon by all) located in downtown DC. Our families and children live in VA, go to school in VA, and we pay tax dollars in VA. No one is in the public high school game for a graduation off in DC. Community and family are the top priorities here. If that's a low brow suburbanite view, I'll take it.

+1

I had 20-plus family members including grandparents comfortably attend multiple children's high school graduations followed by graduation dinners at local nearby restaurants. The memories and togetherness are lasting and lifelong. DAR would have been impossible for my large group. Family is more important than someone else's notion of prestige and elitism.

So weird.

+1
Incredibly self-centered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is DAR???

I googled it, and it's obviously not the Daughters of the Revolution.

Yes, it is. DAR Constitution Hall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love Eagle Bank Arena. The parking is so easy and in ample supply. It’s even easy to leave after an event. The arena holds so many fond memories of shows, sports, concerts, etc. that the kids have gone to over the years, it’s a great place to have a ceremony!

Yep. We had a graduation at dar and another one for a child in our extended family at eagle bank the next day one year.

Eagle bank was so relaxing. No parking hassle, no stern reminders to gtfo the second the ceremony ended.

Eagle bank is the better experience even if DAR is the more beautiful facility.