Graduation Robes

[NerdGirl]

http://theboard.byu.edu/questions/67357/

I love talking about graduation robes for some strange reason. I went to BYU graduation for like 5 years in a row because 2 of those years I was graduating and the other years I knew people graduating, and there was some general authority or important university person or someone who always showed up in this red and orange robe, and we didn't know who he was, but we called him "The Master of the Dark Arts." But when I graduated from high school we wore black robes. And when I got my bachelor's from BYU we also wore black robes (that was in 2005 - I think the navy robes for undergrads are a fairly new development). Same with my master's (also from BYU). But when I got my PhD (from not BYU) it was maroon and silver (school colors). And when I get my MD, I think those are black again. And now that I've written this I feel like I've graduated way too many times. Also, why am I still in school? I'm almost 30!

[Imogen]

I graduated from high school in a red cap and gown, but from undergrad in black with a pink and silver hood that I will add to my (hypothetical) grad school gown. I love academic robes. they're so cool looking. i especially love the ph.d hats!!

[Genuine Article]

Two of my sisters graduated from BYU this last weekend and wouldn't agree to walk in each other's ceremonies, so we had to sit through two painfully long ceremonies in the Marriott Center. It was fun seeing all the professors up on the stage, looking like they belonged at Hogwarts. My high school had black robes (black being one of our school colors), and then I had navy robes for BYU. I've seen some high schools that have different colored robes for boys and girls, which just seems really weird to me.

[Fredjikrang]

My high school was one of those schools that had different robes for boys and girls. The girls wore silver robes, and the boys purple (which is a ridiculous color for a robe in my opinion.)

[Imogen]

My high school was one of those schools that had different robes for boys and girls. The girls wore silver robes, and the boys purple (which is a ridiculous color for a robe in my opinion.)

I would totally go to NYU for a masters because then you get to wear purple robes at academic functions FOR LIFE!!

[bobtheenchantedone]

At my high school, the girls wore green robes and the boys white. Or was it the other way around? I forget.

[Portia]

At my high school, we wore white dresses (of our own choosing) and the men wore navy blazers.

[bobtheenchantedone]

Aw man, choosing? No fair. We didn't even have full control over what we wore under the robes; for example, they strongly encouraged skirts for the girls, and no one was allowed to be naked.

[NerdGirl]

There were a few people in my high school graduating class that were naked under those robes, I think.

[Katya]

At my high school, we wore white dresses (of our own choosing) and the men wore navy blazers.

That's what we did, with matching ties for the guys.

[bobtheenchantedone]

There were a few people in my high school graduating class that were naked under those robes, I think.

Our school checked. Before you were allowed to walk you had to open your robes and prove that you were wearing clothes, and that you didn't have any paper airplanes, frisbees, beach balls...

[Genuine Article]

I brought a miniature game of connect four to my graduation, hidden up my sleeve, which I played with my friend two seats away until my health teacher told us off.

[Dragon Lady]

It was tradition for my school, though forbidden, to sneak pizza and treats under the chairs before the ceremony started. My class had a giant box of candy that got passed around to everyone except those in the front row. The pizza was hoarded by the boys in the back row. And the teachers couldn't really do anything about it because we all sat up on the stage. Teachers on the left half; graduates on the right. (It was a small school.) So getting up and confiscating stuff would have attracted far more attention. And they also couldn't do anything because it was also tradition to give something to the school district president when he gave you your diploma, and for all the teachers knew, the boxes hidden under chairs contained things for that. Because we never told the teachers what we were going to give and they ranged from swedish fish and goldfish (my year. Every 10th person gave a goldfish; the rest gave swedish fish) to rocks (my brother's year). The fun part was that for both my brother and I, my dad was the president. So my brother gathered all the large rocks off our farm he could find, then gave them all back to my dad (his being the largest) and there ended up being a giant pile of rocks on the stage. For mine, we were each going to give a goldfish, but most died before the ceremony (even though we bought them an hour before), hence the swedish fish. But I knew Dad wouldn't care, because what was he going to do with 60 goldfish?!

And I believe we all wore navy blue gowns. But I'd have to look through my pictures to be sure.

[Unit of Energy]

I decided to have a graduation last minute from high school. Being home schooled, this mean that I could choose my school colors and the color of the robe. I went with navy blue, because it was the cheapest, and I felt bad for my parent's financial situation at the time.

[Marduk]

I didn't walk for my high school graduation, nor do I plan to for any subsequent graduations. 'Tis quite a silly practice, if you ask me.

[bobtheenchantedone]

Hooray! I will never have to sit through extremely boring speeches just so I can see Marduk walk across a stage for two seconds!

[krebscout]

I didn't walk at my BYU graduation. I think I missed out on a lot of congratulations money because I didn't make a big deal out of it.

[Katya]

I think I missed out on a lot of congratulations money because I didn't make a big deal out of it.

Out of curiosity, who do you think would have given you money?

[krebscout]

I think I missed out on a lot of congratulations money because I didn't make a big deal out of it.

Out of curiosity, who do you think would have given you money?

Aunts and uncles and grandparents - on my side and on my husband's maybe - the usual money-giving crowd. Most of them didn't know I was graduating. Which was fine; I did not send announcements, because I was not walking and had nothing to invite them to, and I did not want it to seem like I was asking for money. Plus I had gotten married four months earlier.

[Katya]

I think I missed out on a lot of congratulations money because I didn't make a big deal out of it.

Out of curiosity, who do you think would have given you money?

Aunts and uncles and grandparents - on my side and on my husband's maybe - the usual money-giving crowd.

Huh. I don't think anyone in my family would have given me money.