CHS graduation moved to events center

The students came in, two at a time, and split up as they headed to their seats, while Clovis High School principal briefly hummed out, "Pomp and Circumstance."

CNJ staff photo: Kevin Wilson

Clovis High School seniors file in at the Curry County Events Center Friday morning. The students were practicing for the 10 a.m. Saturday graduation.

Saturday morning will have a little more of both when 366 CHS seniors receive their diploma in a 10 a.m. ceremony at the Curry County Events Center. But Friday was the students' chance to get a dry run, and receive their final instructions before their crowning high school achievement.

"There's no reason you'll not know what to do when you leave here," CHS counselor Pam Cornelison said.

Students were mostly laid-back, dressed in either Clovis Wildcat shirts they were wearing for the final time as students, summer clothing that went outside of the Clovis High dress code, or work uniforms as they had planned a quick shift of work around their day off to follow.

While waiting around, students discussed memories from their school days, and even got into joking back-and-forths about the rival colleges they'd be attending.

The graduation should bring a packed house — a problem which was somewhat alleviated when the ceremony was moved from Rock Staubus Gymnasium to the events center — and students were told to be there even earlier.

Arrival at 9 a.m., Cornelison told students, did not mean leaving the house at 9 a.m. It meant being in the building and at their pre-ceremony queue area.

CNJ staff photo: Kevin Wilson

Clovis High School Principal Wayne Marshall goes over details Friday for Sautrday's graduation ceremonies at the Curry County Events Center Friday morning. The school has 366 listed for its commencement ceremony.

As she called the students individually to the queue area — a series of chairs in the east end of the arena behind the curtain for the main event — Cornelison promised that announcer Kevin Wiseman had been practicing student names and wouldn't butcher pronunciations on Saturday.

Once students had filled out the seating section, Marshall congratulated them delivered a final lesson.

"Who," Marshall asked, "is this ceremony for?"

Some students said, "Us," before Marshall shook his head.

"This ceremony is not for you," Marshall said. "You are the focal point of this ceremony, but it's not for you. It's for your family, it's for your friends, it's for your relatives."

Marshall said all of the students should be proud of their accomplishment, but should take the ceremony seriously so everybody associated with them will be proud of them during and after the ceremony.