Caps and gowns and flip flops

[dhermann1]

I attended my nephew's commencement at Cornell over the weekend. While I'm very proud indeed of his accomplishments, and he's a great kid, I was surprised at how most of the kids dressed for this major event.
My nephew, under his black gown, was wearing jeans, a T shirt and sneakers. It was his departmental T shirt, granted, but still. He even kind of needed a shave. I saw several grads with bare legs and flip flops sticking out from under their robes.
Obviously the whole idea of even slightly getting dressed up for this major occasion had completely not occurred at all to any of them. I saw exactly one guy with a shirt and tie under his gown, and I think he also had flip flops.
Sigh.

 

[AmateisGal]

Sadly, this is the trend. Even when I graduated from college more than 12 years ago, there were some that wore jeans or shorts under their gowns. No flip flops, though, as those weren't in style then.

 

[FinalVestige79]

Thats very sad. Man...my generation is going to hell in a hand basket. It was the same thing at my cousins, the audience was better dressed than the grads...how sad.

 

[Feraud]

Apparently the students are dressing within school and parental guidelines..

 

[LizzieMaine]

We had a kid in my class who was turned away from marching on graduation night because of his haircut -- I doubt anyone would have even considered the possibility of wearing shorts under their gown. Even the kid with the haircut showed up in a tie.

 

[dhermann1]

It was pretty hot down on the stadium floor on Sunday, but not scorching. I can understand wanting to keep cool. But still, like I said. . . .

 

[Miss Neecerie]

I once again...do not understand why you all think that today's society should and will act in accordance with -your- rules.....


It is -our- rules that are not the 'socially accepted' rules of the moment.....not the other way around...

Just because you don't like it...doesn't mean society at large....(which seriously, our aesthetic does not play a major role in at this present time, no matter if you think it does....) thinks there is a thing wrong with acting within -current- norms.

Educating people on -why- some changes could/should be made....might be a whole lot more productive then coming here and whining/preaching to the choir about this.

Guess there is just nothing better to do

 

[Paisley]

I think caps and gowns and flip-flops should be the norm...as daily wear at school.

 

[DerMann]

I don't think I saw anyone wearing flip flops at my HS graduation. In fact, most of my classmates were very well turned out (even with the extreme heat.

Personally, I wore a formal shirt with a high wing collar, black pants and shoes, and a blue tie (our school's colour).

 

[dhermann1]

I once again...do not understand why you all think that today's society should and will act in accordance with -your- rules.....


It is -our- rules that are not the 'socially accepted' rules of the moment.....not the other way around...

Just because you don't like it...doesn't mean society at large....(which seriously, our aesthetic does not play a major role in at this present time, no matter if you think it does....) thinks there is a thing wrong with acting within -current- norms.

Educating people on -why- some changes could/should be made....might be a whole lot more productive then coming here and whining/preaching to the choir about this.

Guess there is just nothing better to do

Geez, Neecerie, lighten up.

 

[maggiethespy]

I once again...do not understand why you all think that today's society should and will act in accordance with -your- rules.....


It is -our- rules that are not the 'socially accepted' rules of the moment.....not the other way around...

Actually, these were also the rules of the the institution from which I received my Associates degree with High Honors two weeks ago.

Every piece of mail said plainly in bold print "Ladies are to wear dresses and dark, closed-toed shoes. Men should wear a white shirt with a tie, dark slacks, and dress shoes." Still, people showed up in flip-flops, jeans, t-shirts. They talked on their cell phones during the march in, the opening prayer, and all of the speakers. They were rude, but nothing in comparison with the audience-- my mother tried to photograph me as I walked across the stage, and someone pushed her out of the way from where she was taking pictures. She could have fallen and gotten hurt! I was so angry, not only with that conduct, but with the rest of my classmate's conduct. I understand a lot of people think that an Associates isn't anything to get worked up about, and I know that I'll have a Bachelor's and a Master's graduation ahead of me to make this up, but it's a big step in some people's lives-- for some people, this is the only graduation.

I'm so sad that a milestone was ruined for so many people.

I wore a dress, heels, pearls, and had set my hair the night before, and I received several "who does she think she is?" stares.

 

[dhermann1]

Actually, the irony with the caps and gowns is that they go back to about the 13th century in Eurpoean universities. The students at places like the Sorbonne wore caps that were big and square shaped, and when the cloth settled over the wearer's head it made that distinctive square "mortar board" shape. And the gowns were just good solid medieval cloaks, designed for warmth. They were the medieval equivalent of the modern students jeans and army jackets. Through tradition what was originally informal and practical became highly formal and impractical. But even as late as the 1930's, when my mother was in college, the students had several convocations each year where the cap and gown was worn. Every student had a set that they owned, made of good solid wool, rather than the slightly cheesy polyester of today.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Actually, these were also the rules of the the institution from which I received my Associates degree with High Honors two weeks ago.

Every piece of mail said plainly in bold print "Ladies are to wear dresses and dark, closed-toed shoes. Men should wear a white shirt with a tie, dark slacks, and dress shoes." Still, people showed up in flip-flops, jeans, t-shirts. They talked on their cell phones during the march in, the opening prayer, and all of the speakers. They were rude, but nothing in comparison with the audience-- my mother tried to photograph me as I walked across the stage, and someone pushed her out of the way from where she was taking pictures. She could have fallen and gotten hurt! I was so angry, not only with that conduct, but with the rest of my classmate's conduct. I understand a lot of people think that an Associates isn't anything to get worked up about, and I know that I'll have a Bachelor's and a Master's graduation ahead of me to make this up, but it's a big step in some people's lives-- for some people, this is the only graduation.

I'm so sad that a milestone was ruined for so many people.

I wore a dress, heels, pearls, and had set my hair the night before, and I received several "who does she think she is?" stares.

You misunderstand. I agree that if the school puts out a dress code and graduates -fail- to adhere to it...that should be unacceptable. And -boo- to the school for allowing them to go ahead and march....

That's a different kettle of fish to there being more relaxed rules, and people wanting folks to adhere to 'rules that were not conveyed' to the participants.

 

[Foofoogal]

I once again...do not understand why you all think that today's society should and will act in accordance with -your- rules.....

for sake of argument only. While it is nice if this generation wants to let it all hang out other generations do not. What if perhaps there was someone in the audience willing and ready to hire these new graduates.
It is reality that many companies go on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and every other social place to look up potential employees. With the economy it matters more IMHO.
What some see as freedom others see as anarchy. I love griping about the young people. Since beginning of time the elders have griped about the youth of today. It is tradition.

 

[Mike K.]

I have been teaching college since the mid-1990s and student attire never ceases to amaze (and appall) me. Might I suggest two things of everybody here:

1. For those of us who work in the academic field, petition your university to enact a dress code (at least for commencement ceremonies). If the administration realized just how poorly their students' dress reflects upon the university, they will certainly want to change it.

2. For everybody, regardless of where you work, please send a brief note to your local newspaper, and perhaps even to the university president, noting how "pleased" you are with the ceremonial attire of students...and again emphasize how this reflects upon the university.

If we only whine to each other here at the Lounge, how will we ever hope to enact any change in society for the better?

 

[Miss Neecerie]

I have been teaching college since the mid-1990s and student attire never ceases to amaze (and appall) me. Might I suggest two things of everybody here:

1. For those of us who work in the academic field, petition your university to enact a dress code (at least for commencement ceremonies). If the administration realized just how poorly their students' dress reflects upon the university, they will certainly want to change it.

2. For everybody, regardless of where you work, please send a brief note to your local newspaper, and perhaps even to the university president, noting how "pleased" you are with the ceremonial attire of students...and again emphasize how this reflects upon the university.

If we only whine to each other here at the Lounge, how will we ever hope to enact any change in society for the better?

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[JennyLou]

I don't think I saw anyone wearing flip flops at my HS graduation. In fact, most of my classmates were very well turned out (even with the extreme heat.

Personally, I wore a formal shirt with a high wing collar, black pants and shoes, and a blue tie (our school's colour).

My high school had a strict dress code for everything, including garduation. Boys had to wear dress shirt, pants and shoes, with a tie. Girls had to wear a dress which followed the different dress rules of the school and dress shoes, No crazy haircuts allowed. We had a dress code for everything. Although many kids complained, I liked the dress code.

 

[Spitfire]

When I was a student - back in the last century - a teacher once said to us:
"If you haven't got that much to show on the inside - you show it on the outside!"
Today I think the same. And go on...

 

[Paisley]

Through tradition what was originally informal and practical became highly formal and impractical.

I think they would be practical for daily wear. It's an easy outfit and it doesn't show dirt. Students could wear whatever they wanted to underneath (except for special occasions). I'm sure many students would loudly complain about it, but for many students, it would hide their lack of trendy clothes or take their mind off body image issues. These students would quietly love it.

 

[Harp]

My high school had a strict dress code for everything...

...mine too, and no girls either.