Spring graduates to wear blue academic regalia
Seth Davis
Opinions Editor
Issue date: 3/30/09 Section: Campus News
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This May candidates for commencement will be wearing royal blue caps and robes, with the university seal embroidered on the upper left side of the robe and a zipper with the university seal attached to the zipper.
In lieu of the black robes of the past and all students will be wearing the same blue and silver tassel, regardless of major.
However, students will still be able to wear graduation stoles.
Additional stoles will be worn by academic marshals, TBR representatives and platform dignitaries.
According to John Cade, director of BANNER operations and protocol, the change in robe and tassel color is way of branding graduation and the institution.
"The goal of branding is to get the students to actually embrace their colors," Cade said. "Students will be pleased to know that the idea of the university as far as branding has come to fruition and it is not a drab ceremony."
Cade says that he has found that students are more concerned with, "Did I apply for graduation?" "Am I graduating?" and "Will I get to wear my academic regalia?".
Some students agree with Cade and Johnson's efforts brand graduation with the school colors.
"I think that it's wonderful," said Brandon Boyd, a senior music education major from Ocala, Fla. "It coincides with our school colors, which are something to be proud of."
However, some students, including Ebony Fresh, a senior political science major from Indianapolis, see the topic of changing the gown colors differently.
"I love school spirit but blue gowns will clash with stole and cord colors and take away from individual's merit," Fresh said.
Another new aspect of this year's spring commencement is the addition of the University's Academic Excellence Award.
According to the graduation Web site, the award was commissioned by Johnson and will be presented to the student who is graduating with the highest honors (summa cum laude) and has the highest grade point average in the graduating class as well.
Caps and gowns will be available in the bookstore beginning April 27th- May 1.
A late processing fee of $10 will be charged by the bookstore to students who have not picked up their attire by May 4.
Commencement rehearsal is scheduled for Friday, May 8 at 3:30 p.m. for 9:00am graduates and 5:30 for 2 p.m. graduates.
This spring's commencement will take place in the Gentry Center Complex May 9 at 9 a.m. for the College of Business, College of Engineering, Technology and Computer Science, College of Health Sciences, School of Architecure and Consumer Sciences and the School of Nursing
Students in the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Education, and the Instutute of Government will hold its exercises at 2 p.m.
For more information about commencement, go to www.tnstate.edu/commencement.•
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