Dressing up like Harry Potter

"...I welcome you to the ancient and universal company of scholars and entrust to you the free inquiry of future generations." - President Drew Faust conferring the degrees of Doctorate of Philosophy.

It is hard to take graduation seriously when you are dressed like a color blind Harry Potter. And for you fashion forward readers, you would be appalled to know that my friends and I were upset that our robes were not flashy enough. Most universities have shiny silks to line the hood and 8 corner tams with gold tassels for Ph.D.s. Instead we have the muted crimson lining that matched our robes and *gasp* a four cornered velvet tam. We sat in our seats comparing the stitching of our crow's feet and wondering if our dark blue was really that distinguishable from aqua of Government.

Although I have graduated a couple of times before, this time it seemed to mean a little more. Honestly, had my parents not insisted I would not have even attended the ceremony, but I am glad I did. It occurred to me when President Faust was talking that this would be last time that I would be a student. Ph.D.s are terminal degrees, nowhere to go from here. It is my equivalent to a third husband and I am stuck with this one. To take the analogy preposterously far, my mother even bought me the ridiculous robes for a little over $700 the approximate amount my cousin paid for her wedding dress.

I am sending my robes home. My mom promises me that she will get it dry cleaned and vacuum packed, like my sister's wedding dress. It will be unsealed when my first grad student marches, hopefully, within the next ten years. Or maybe not as my mom hinted that she and my dad might try it on because it is so funny looking, and my sister thought it would make a great Halloween costume.