Types of applause people get at graduation
The bro whoop
A bunch of guys yelping it up like the Cowboys just intercepted on the 20-yard line.
The sorority
A bunch of girls yelling, “Yaaaaaaay!”
The hyper parents
They’ve waited years for this, and this is their moment. Screaming, clapping, sometimes a balloon release.
The abashed family
The family that starts to yell, then realize they’re the only ones and immediately shut up and sit down.
The golf clap
Lutherans.
The awkward silence
No one does anything, and the graduate is practically off the stage by the time the dean realizes he’d better give a quick clap so the auditorium doesn’t sound completely like a tomb.
The student council president
A warm, robust round of applause, sort of like what you hear from the studio audience at the happy ending of an ’80s sitcom.
The slow build
Starts quietly, but then gains volume as people wake up and realize, oh hey! It’s that guy!
The gratuitous chuckle
The crowd’s reaction when a graduate does anything involving a selfie stick.
The air horn
If your posse brings one of these and actually uses it, you’re already winning at life.