Friday, May 02, 2008

Regalia

I got my robe, hood, and tam yesterday. A lot of my friends complain about having to wear them for graduation, but it's actually something that I really appreciate. I've found that the further along I get the stupider I feel and the more I realize I don't know, and I think going through the traditional ceremony in regalia that has been around since the 1100s is a nice reminder that we have actually learned and achieved something over the past several years. I did not realize however how much detail goes into the costume. As per this link from the American Council on Education, there are strict guidelines as to which graduates get to wear what; everything from the color of the panels on the robe to the fabric of the hat, from the length, width, and design of the hood to the shape of the sleeves, depend on what degree the graduate is receiving and what field the degree is in. I can see how regalia has the potential to become nothing more than vanity, particularly centuries ago when when it was worn every day at universities, but I think it's appropriate for a day.

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