An uninvited guest stole the show at the Kalamalka Secondary Class of 2015 grad picture Thursday afternoon at the Kal Lake Lookout.
The wind.
A strong breezed whipped throughout the ceremony, forcing graduation caps off heads, blowing up the front of graduation gowns, hair into faces and making the 114 grads in the picture pose for a good 10 minutes so the photographers – one official, one media, number of parents – could get a memorable shot.
“The wind gives the photo some characteristics,” said Logan Ramsey, 18, who will attend Okanagan College next year to “look around to see what I want to do.”
“It’s like this group. There’s a lot of characters in this class. I’m always going to remember this group.”
Added Shael Knight, 17, who will study arts at UBCO in September: “It’s been a good day today except for the wind.”
Asked what he would remember about his five years at Kal, Knight said the band, where he plays tenor sax.
Megan Barss was one of about a dozen or so grads who arrived in a vehicle other than three school buses carrying the class of 2015. She is the emcee for the grad ceremonies, which take place today, and she’ll be performing.
“The wind is disappointing, yes, we’ll probably have our grad flags in front of our faces for the pictures, but it’ll be fine,” smiled Barss, 18, who will attend Toronto’s Randolph Academy of Performing Arts next year.
“This whole year went by so fast but this grad class is great. Obviously we have our separate groups but, as a whole, we all get along and we’ve all done pretty well.”
Among the first to arrive at the Lookout was Liz Chirkoff, mother of four, there to snap pictures of her daughter, Hannah, her third graduating child.
For Chirkoff, and other parents, the grad photo is the start of an emotional time.
“Graduation is a new chapter that, you know, they’re going to be going on their own, making their own decisions and leaving home,” said Chirkoff.
“But yet, it’s an exciting time to see them being independent and getting on in life. This is the second or third chapter in their lives. And there’s no way in the world I would miss this.”
