Pomp and circumstance 101

Have you ever gone to a college graduation ceremony and wondered why who is wearing what? Well, wonder no more.

Here’s a crash course on the pomp and circumstance of commencement.

Why are some gowns fancier than others?  

 

Gowns represent the three principal levels of academic achievement:

Bachelor’s gown = Made of black material, closed front and long, pointed, open sleeves.

Master’s = Also made of black material with a closed front but has long, closed sleeves.

Doctoral = Also black but has an open front with bell-shaped sleeves and are embellished with velvet trim in the form of crossbars on the sleeves. In spring 2017, the gown designs were updated to include the University of Wisconsin–Madison colors and crest logo.

What about all those other fancy robes and accoutrements?

The Chancellor, Provost and other leadership all wear either UW regalia or that of their alma mater – it’s a regalia mix.

What about those tassel colors?

The color coincides with the area of study, ranging from sapphire for the School of Business to apricot for the School of Nursing. (Read about the other colors here.)

Tassel etiquette: Candidates for first degrees wear the tassel on the right side of the cap until the degree has been conferred. Candidates for the MD (Doctor of Medicine), Law JD (Juris Doctor), SJD (Doctor of Science of Law), DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine), DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice), DOT (Doctor of Occupational Therapy) and AuD (Doctor of Audiology) wear an eight-sided black velvet tam with a gold tassel.

(Pssst. A tam looks kind of like a beret but is a bit bigger.)

The stoles?

Bachelor’s candidates graduating with honors or distinctive scholastic achievement wear stoles, which are worn over the fronts of their gowns. Bachelor’s candidates from an honors program wear white stoles with three cardinal bars. Candidates that have distinguished themselves scholastically by ranking in the top 20 percent of their school or college wear solid cardinal red stoles.

And the hoods?

The hood, which has a velvet edging whose color is determined by the degree to be conferred and a lining in the color or colors of the institution (cardinal at Wisconsin), hangs to the back from the neck. A cord on the hood is fastened to a button on the front of the candidate’s clothing. To avoid wearing the hood inside out, make sure that the velvet facing of the hood is visible under the chin and lies flat over the shoulders.

The bachelor’s hood is rather short with a narrow velvet edging and is worn only by candidates who previously received the baccalaureate degree. The master’s hood is considerably longer, has a wider velvet edging, and exposes more of the lining. The doctor’s hood has a still wider velvet edging, wide panels at either side, greater length, and a fully exposed lining. There is no hooding ceremony; candidates wear the hood throughout the commencement ceremony.

Now you know why who is wearing what.

But what exactly is pomp and circumstance anyway?

It’s the song you often hear at graduations and a fancy way of describing impressive formal activities or ceremonies.

But where does it come from? Glad you asked.

It was composed by Sir Edward Elgar and was used for the 1902 coronation of King Edward VII. The title comes from a line in Shakespeare’s Othello (“Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!”).

In 1905, it was played when Elgar received an honorary doctorate from Yale University. Soon after, other universities began using the music as a processional, eventually becoming an important part of graduation ceremonies nationwide.

While there’s a pretty good chance you’ll hear “Pomp and Circumstance” at any graduation ceremony you attend, we’re pretty sure there’s only one place you’ll be asked to “Jump Around.”