All about Graduation

                Thegraduation gown is a ceremonial dress whose history dates back at least eighthundred years. Yes, you heard that right! Eight hundred years! Back in the daywhen universities first began forming, they had no buildings of their own. Thismeant that they had to enlist the help of churches to use them as temporaryclassrooms. The clergymen there used to wear long robes and hoods to keep coolinside the stone walls. Thus, the dress was picked up from the clergymen andthen transformed in an academic tradition. Initially, the students wereexpected to sport their academicals (another name for the academic dress) atall times inside the premises. Although this practice has by and large beenabolished for the past two centuries, some universities still insist onfollowing it. However, most universities only expect students to don theiracademicals at graduation day or at special academic processions. You may findyourself having to sport a gown yourself in you have an academic bent of mind. Evenif you don’t chances are you wore one as your high school came to an end. Veryfew of us have been spared the touch of the academicals and fewer have lived totell the tell.

                Thereare two kinds of academicals; rental and keeper. Some places that have graduation caps and gowns for sale alsohave rental options. This option is a cheap one for those who have little useof their academicals after the convocation ceremony. After all, very few of usattend high profile universities like Oxford or Yale, where the wearing of theacademic dress is a frequently occurring affair. A keeper gown, on the otherhand, is one that the student is allowed to keep. The reasons for that mayvary, but more often than not, it is because the student has paid for it. Ofcourse, you may also keep it for sentimental reasons, but if the gown isrental, then there is nothing you can do about it. You can approach the rentalplace directly and buy it off of them, if you so choose, however. A keeper gownis given to you like you are given your graduationdiplomas (packed in a nice leathery diploma covers). You can use it however you like, but chances are that you willhardly ever take it out again, except for the taking your graduation portrait. Iwas given a keeper gown and in all these years (too many to count, friends) Ihave never, not ever, taken it out. So, it might not be all that bad to have todon a rental gown, after all.

                Theplaces that have graduation caps andgowns for sale usually provide keeper gowns, but your governing body mayabsolutely decide against purchasing and favor renting. So, while you areentitled to your graduation diplomaif you have completed the formalities, you cannot always expect to keep yourgown with you. Some things cannot be argued with, so don’t even try.