Congratulations to the Class of 2008!

Wearing a cap and gown while marching across an amphitheater, and picking up a diploma is one of the proudest days in the life of any student. But, how much do you really know about the all the pomp and circumstance to which we parade?


Let’s start with that Pomp and Circumstance, the first march of a series of five composed by Sir Edward Elgar. The march was composed in 1901, and only four short years later, on June 28th, 1905, the song was first played at a commencement ceremony. Yale University played it for their graduates who were also honoring Sir Elgar himself that same day with an honorary degree. If for some reason you can’t seem to get enough of this tune, or need some practice before picking up your diploma, you can make it your ringtone by clicking here.

Most learning institutions stick with “Graduation Day” or “Commencement Ceremonies,” to tell of the events to take place on the day one receives a diploma. But, there are some other names that graduation goes by... “Convocation, Invocation, Degree Day, Commencement Day,” or as the University of Cambridge prefers, “General Admission.”

Did you know that, traditionally-speaking, different gowns are issued for Bachelor of Arts degree recipients than for those receiving a Master of Arts? BA robes have long sleeves that are bell-shaped at the end, while MA robes have long sleeves that are closed at the ends with a slit for the arm to exit the sleeve at the elbow.

What’s under that gown? Everyone’s heard that jokes about going au naturel under the gown on graduation day, but it isn’t very common knowledge that many universities require a dress code for what professors are to be wearing underneath the gown. That leads one to wonder, was this ever a real problem?

Did you know that when worn properly, all caps, or mortarboards, are to be level to the ground, and not slanting back? While most men wear their caps this way, women often do not. Also, etiquette requires that men take their caps off for the national anthem, while women are not required to.

Many graduates in America perform the ritual of moving their tassel from the right to left side of their cap, indicating the passing from student to graduate. Masters students and doctoral students are not supposed to take part in this tradition, but instead wear the tassel on the left from the beginning of the ceremony. This rite came about as a way to get around the more lengthy customs of the United Kingdom, in which students would change gowns and cords completely.

Some universities are calling on politicians and famous persons to deliver their commencement addresses, while others are sticking to the tradition of offering the prestigious honor only to alumni. Here’s a list of some of those more well-known orators:

Bill Cosby, actor (Hampton University, 2003)

Nancy Pelosi, politician (Webster University, 2007)

Rudy Guiliani, former mayor of NYC (Highpoint University, 2008)

John Lithgow, actor (Harvard University, 2005)

Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Chairman (Harvard University, 1999)

Michael Bloomberg, mayor of NYC (University of Pennsylvania, 2008)

Barbara Bush, first lady (Wake Forest University, 2001)

Oprah Winfrey, talk show host (Stanford University, 2008)