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.

Um, Jan, my DH's family graduated from FCPS in the 90s and they did not go to DAR. Plus, tell me the size of the graduating class in 1970 and today's count and then we can discuss the logistics of a graduation at DAR vs. Eagle Bank. Are you new to basic math? Sure seems like it.

Anonymous wrote:

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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.

"20-plus"?? Ugh - you're "that family" who ruins it for everyone else with your enormous group of guests, shouting and whooping for your ONE graduate, while other families are struggling to see their own kid walk across the stage and hear his/her name. I'm all for limiting tickets because of families like yours.
DP

Well as we say, Bless Your Heart. Table for two, right this way.Typical soulless, ruthless,angry, narcissistic Nova parent.

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

That makes a lot of sense apart from the fact that several of these schools were graduating at DAR long before there was a Facebook or an Instagram.

Do you have any other explanations? Like maybe it's just a tradition and some people think it's an attractive venue despite some of the other inconveniences. Not sure it requires over-thinking.

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.

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.

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.

Um, Jan, my DH's family graduated from FCPS in the 90s and they did not go to DAR. Plus, tell me the size of the graduating class in 1970 and today's count and then we can discuss the logistics of a graduation at DAR vs. Eagle Bank. Are you new to basic math? Sure seems like it.

Anonymous wrote:For kids at high schools like Justice, Annandale, Falls Church and Edison, it will be their last time participating in a graduation.

Anonymous wrote:

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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.

"20-plus"?? Ugh - you're "that family" who ruins it for everyone else with your enormous group of guests, shouting and whooping for your ONE graduate, while other families are struggling to see their own kid walk across the stage and hear his/her name. I'm all for limiting tickets because of families like yours.
DP

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.

Wait, what? Who brings 20+ people to their kid’s graduation? How incredibly obnoxious of you.

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.

Anonymous wrote:

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!

DP. That is awesome!! What a beautiful venue. We live outside the nation’s capital - I am wholeheartedly in favor of taking advantage of some of these special places for a once-in-a-lifetime occasion, like high school graduation. DAR is great, but National Cathedral would be too.

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.

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

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.

This post says a lot more about you than it does about anyone who enjoys watching a kid graduate at DAR. Slight jab at DAR, but bigger put-down of mid-westerners, immigrants, and anyone with kids who attended public school. Not a good look unless you aspire to full-blown d-baggery.

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.