Pomp and circumstance. To most people, this phrase means absolutely nothing, yet everyone knows what exactly  it is.

One may not know the title, but if they were to hear it, they would instantly recognize it as “the graduation song”. It’s the painfully slow song that seniors drag their feet to when they graduate from high school after 13 (or more) years of public education.

It’s the little thing like the song title that many people don’t know, so here’s a guide on graduation for those who may need it.

At Powell High School, graduation is always on a Sunday starting at 2 p.m. (This year, it’ll be May 19.) Considering a lot of work has been put into the ceremony over the year, it would be rude to walk in after the ceremony has begun.

“Well I start [organizing graduation] at the beginning of the year, because I start with a graduation committee and that’s usually the class officers,” Administration Assisstant Mrs. Sue Skalsky said. “Then we meet and you vote on your class flower, motto and song. It starts in the beginning of the school year and goes until now because I have to get the legal names

I get the Balfour packets out to you in the fall and around this time of year, when it gets down to the end, I have to make sure that everyone has their cap and gown ordered. I get them all in the seating chart. I get the diploma’s ready. They all have to be signed and I put them together in the diploma cover. I make sure all the music is ready to go.”

Before the ceremony, all seniors are required to meet a certain standard of appearance and behavior that is expected during the ceremony. For family members, the same behavior is expected but that doesn’t always happen.

“[Seniors] are not to put anything on their hats,” Mrs. Skalsky said. “You have to have appropriate clothing. You have to have respectful behavior. No writing or marking on any hats or clothing. No toys. No noisemakers preferred. ”

During the ceremony, there often are several speeches along with performances by the band and the choir.These may not be the most important aspect of graduation, but for those students who have worked hard to be where they are today in these groups, it matters a lot. Please pay attention to the performances and speeches because the time that they have put into it means a lot to them.

After all this time, these seniors are finally moving forward in their lives. In celebration of this, they will walk across a stage, receive their diplomas and move their tassels from right to left. Some students will be graduating with honors.

“You have to be in the top 20 percent of your class,” Mrs. Skalsky said. “So it’s the 20 percent times however many kids are in first semester.”

However, senior Alan Merritt, co-valedictorian, is hesitant about one aspect of the graduation ceremony.

Merritt said he is not excited for “the super slow, goofy walk.”

Graduation is a time of celebration for those who have earned their high school diplomas. It may be hard for the audience to realize that these children they have known their entire lives are grown up and leaving into the real world. Tissues might be necessary for those who tend to cry, such as mothers seeing their baby’s all grown up. It’ll be a day of happiness and joy for everyone, so by knowing the little facts about graduation, it will make the upcoming day even more special.