Creative way for each nursing school graduate to say thank you?
October 5, 2011 11:42 PM   Subscribe

Ideas for my nursing schools pinning ceremony?? I was thinking about video thank you's during the individual pinning ...

I am in a small class of 50 graduating with their BSN in nursing. I am tasked with the job of organizing this event. For those of you who have never been to a pinning ceremony (this will be my first) it is the time when the student is pinned by someone else, signifying their completion of a nursing program.

I was thinking that while each student is pinned a VERY short VIDEO thank you - from the actual person being pinned - would play (approximately 10 seconds in length). Everyone in the group said that it seems too difficult to make that happen.

Here's my questions:
Has anyone graduated from nursing school? Can you suggest an alternative to video thank you's? (we are thinking of just having a professor read our individuals thank you's) Or, any other ideas that might add something special and unique to this event? THANK YOU.
posted by learninguntilidie to Education (4 answers total)
 
Although I like the idea of what you want to do, I think it would indeed be very difficult. I think it would be too rushed, and the individual thank yous would be lost because of the overwhelming number you'd need to do, and the speed at which you'd need to do them.

Grad ceremonies usually have a printed program that attendees can take as a memento; how about including a page or two with students' brief thank you messages?

As students are getting pinned, perhaps you could play a slideshow in the background with photos of students from various class and school activities. Ask students and professors to send you their candid photos if they have any.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:27 AM on October 6, 2011


Best answer: Oh god, as someone who was in the audience for a family member's pinning, please please please keep it short. At the ceremony I went to, the graduates were told there was a hard limit (I think a half page?) on the thank yous that would be read, but many went over -- some far over -- and nobody had the heart to edit them. As a result, things dragged on long past anyone's ability to pay attention. Plus the readers (not the actual students being pinned) stumbled over odd phrasing or unusual names, making it even more painful to listen to. I was honestly shocked when I checked the clock and it had only been 2 1/2 hours -- it felt like so much more.
Also, even with the prof reading the thank yous, it was hard to keep the reading and the pinning in sync, which contributed to the confusion. I think a video would be even more difficult.
A possibility that occurs to me is a video before the pinning itself, in which you have each graduate looking at the camera saying "thank you" (edited together to take less than a minute) ending in a group shot of everyone shouting "thank you!". Nontraditional, but easier than trying to get people to write something they can say in the time allotted, record them saying it right, edit them together, and keep it synced with the pinning. I'm not sure how that would do in practice, but I know I would have fallen on my knees in gratitude if I could have switched that for the thank-yous at the pinning I was at.

(I also like hurdy gurdy girl's suggestions of the printed messages and the slideshow)

Oh, and congratulations on graduating!
posted by katemonster at 8:42 AM on October 6, 2011


I really like katemonster's idea for the quick individual + group thank you video! It would be fast but memorable, and I think the effect would be very sweet.

And yes, congratulations on your graduation!
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 9:12 AM on October 6, 2011


Response by poster: Thank you, for your suggestions on the thank you everyone! :)
posted by learninguntilidie at 12:40 PM on October 6, 2011


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