As Mel Riddile was waiting for his first commencement ceremony as principal of T.C. Williams High School to begin, memories of his own high school days rushed to the center of his mind. Riddile was an athletic star in the small Pennsylvania town where he grew up, playing baseball, basketball and football. Although he graduated in the spring of 1968, flower power had yet to make its influence known in Burgettstown.
"One of the things I remember most was how hot it was in that gym," said Riddile in the air-conditioned comfort of the Patriot Center’s Hospitality Room. "I was excited about the future but I guess I was also more than a little reluctant because I had no idea what the future would hold."
As Riddile chatted with School Board members in the green room, graduating seniors lining up in the circular hallway surrounding the floor felt the same conflicting tug of emotions that he remembered from 40 years ago. Dressed in robes of red, white and blue — the school’s patriotic color scheme — graduates said that they were ready to begin their lives yet they admitted a lingering sense of uncertainty and doubt.
"I’ve got to fight my own battles now," said Virginia Small, who plans to study diplomacy in college. "I’m excited, ecstatic and scared all at the same time."
"I’ve got butterflies," agreed Monica Smith, who has signed up to attend classes at Northern Virginia Community College. "I feel excited and determined and nervous. More than anything, I don’t want to trip when I walk across the stage."
OUTSIDE THE HALL, in the vast Patriot Center at George Mason University, parents were filling the seats for the third and final T.C. Williams graduating ceremony to be held at the sports arena. Next year, the commencement ceremonies will be held at the school’s new $100 million facility. But nobody was thinking about that on Thursday night.
"We’ve been waiting for this for so many years," said Maria Ventura, whose daughter Rosemary was graduating. "I don’t even know what to say. She did it!"
As parents found their places in the stands, the T.C. Williams Band practiced selections they would be performing that evening. After finishing a number called "Intensity," the band struck up "Pomp and Circumstance" — the quintessential musical moment for any graduation ceremony. For many parents, hearing the familiar strains of Edward Elgar’s famous march transformed the moment from the drudgery of waiting to the rapture of pride.
"This is a trip," said Freddie Sellers, who came to see his daughter Pamela walk across the stage. "I just can’t wait to see her."
A FEW MINUTES LATER, the graduates walked into the Patriot Center. Air horns blared in celebration as the students took their seats on the floor. Parents were screaming the names of children, hoping to locate their loved ones in a sea of robes. Ariana Appleton began the ceremonies by offering the welcome to students, faculty, guests and parents.
"We’ve decided which colleges to apply to and what to wear to prom, and now that’s all over" she said. "Tonight we enter the real world."
Superintendent Rebecca Perry introduced members of the School Board and quoted the line from Lee Ann Womack’s "I Hope You Dance" in which the song implored its listeners to persevere — "Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter." Valedictorian Rebecca Lehr paraphrased text from the side of a bag of Goldfish Crackers — "The possibilities will extend as far as we can swim." Salutatorian Andrew Vanderhoeven appropriated a line from a popular Shop Boyz song for his own purposes — "It’s time to party like a rock star, 07!"
"You have set the gold standard for all the classes that follow you," said Riddile. "Your legacy will live on."
For more photos see page 18