University will switch graduation robes to red
Commencement committee met Monday to discuss graduation gown options
By Adair-Hayes Crane, Staff Writer
October 28, 2009

Quote :

"The committee decided at the end of the meeting that the new commencement apparel will be red caps and gowns with a seal on the left side between the shoulder and the chest. There will be white tassels on the caps with a medallion of the University’s seal."

http://www.technicianonline.com/news/university-will-switch-graduation-robes-to-red-1.2040343

I'm trying to keep an open mind about this, but I just don't know how it's going to look. I know that UNC has blue caps and gowns, but I don't think they look good at all.

Couldn't we just keep the black caps and gowns and add some more red to it here and there?

10/28/2009 4:12:56 AM

In before the Wear Red, Get Fed

10/28/2009 4:35:00 AM

As long as they don't give me a God damned phone call about the last day to purchase gowns to have them by graduation, I don't care too much. Don't think anything is particularly wrong with black.

10/28/2009 4:41:37 AM

^ I like black just fine, too.



Let's face it, this is the type of thing that some people want to see--except all NCSU red. I don't think it looks particularly good or classy, though.

10/28/2009 4:56:00 AM

they should be white with red trim and say

STATE

on the front

10/28/2009 5:12:28 AM

^ LOL! Nobody liked them either.

10/28/2009 5:28:09 AM

what does the color of a cap and gown have to do with class? It's not red with dead babies on it. We're talking about a solid color with a white NCSU seal. What about solid black is so much classier? That's an idea that was learned. There is nothing innately classy about solid black. At least no more than solid red.

I was actually surprised to learn that there was no red in the graduation attire.

To me, graduation is about celebrating our success and time at NCSU. It's a very brief moment/event and I would have liked it to have more to do with NCSU (my departmental ceremony wasn't even on campus). When I think of NCSU, the color that comes to mind is red... without question. I like the idea a lot. I also wouldn't be opposed to men wearing red and women wearing white gowns. Why shouldn't the school colors be part of the graduation ceremony? I would have greatly preferred a red or white gown over black.

[Edited on October 28, 2009 at 5:34 AM. Reason : e]

10/28/2009 5:33:07 AM

they should use red overalls instead of gowns.

10/28/2009 6:12:00 AM

I would've rather had a red gown. I think it'd be fun.

10/28/2009 6:41:50 AM

^^^ and ^ As I indicated, I'm trying to keep an open mind, but do you honestly think the sea of blue at UNC looks good? And black is simply a good color to convey seriousness.

And I never indicated that our school colors shouldn't be part of the graduation ceremony. This is what I posted:

Quote :

"I'm trying to keep an open mind about this, but I just don't know how it's going to look."

Quote :

"Couldn't we just keep the black caps and gowns and add some more red to it here and there?"

Maybe the red cap and gowns will look great. I think this remains to be seen, though.

[Edited on October 28, 2009 at 6:53 AM. Reason : And there's a troubling historical image of red gowns--but I'm not going to post it. ]

10/28/2009 6:50:27 AM

10/28/2009 7:25:16 AM

On the laundry list of bad ideas that have come from the University regarding apparel, this has to be #1 of all time.



Red Gowns?


Are you people fucking serious?


"What makes black classier?"


Are you fucking serious.

10/28/2009 9:27:21 AM

i would have gladly wore red instead of black on graduation day. its a freakin gown. a black fabric gown is not any "classier" than a red one. I don't have anything against the black but the red is an official color which would be kinda cool.

In the end, it really wouldn't have made a difference either way as neither would have any use after graduating, but I really don't see anything wrong with the red.


[Edited on October 28, 2009 at 9:34 AM. Reason : ]

10/28/2009 9:32:04 AM

haha glad I came back for another degree- I'm gonna actually get this stuff this time around

10/28/2009 9:33:56 AM

Would you show up to your wedding in a fucking red tuxedo?





Seriously.

10/28/2009 9:35:48 AM

^absolutely...however...i am well known to not take things as seriously as i should.

I think it would be sort of neat to have a red gowns. but I am graduating in December so looks like i will get black. last class ever with black in fact.

10/28/2009 9:38:07 AM

Quote :

"i would have gladly wore red instead of black on graduation day. its a freakin gown. a black fabric gown is not any "classier" than a red one. I don't have anything against the black but the red is an official color which would be kinda cool. "

and, yeah^, it definitely increases the incentive to get a red one since it is more unique and commemorative

10/28/2009 9:38:51 AM

^^^a polyester gown is not a tuxedo..and i wouldnt wear a black gown anymore than a red gown to my wedding

I wouldn't have minded wearing a lot of red to the wedding, but the colors were black and purple

Who knows, maybe I am in the minority but I think cap and gowns look silly (not in a bad way) and not overly formal anyways, so the difference between black and a school color doesnt really make any negative impact on the formality for me.

[Edited on October 28, 2009 at 9:49 AM. Reason : ]

10/28/2009 9:39:28 AM

OH NO TEH UNIVERSITY CHANGED SOMETHING

RANT RANT RANT

...get over it, you wear the gown for about an hour graduation day

10/28/2009 9:53:59 AM

Quote :

"and, yeah^, it definitely increases the incentive to get a red one since it is more unique and commemorative"

Quote :

""

Unique. Just like the other 4000 people who are wearing the exact same unsightly piece of shit.

10/28/2009 9:57:53 AM

Quote :

"but do you honestly think the sea of blue at UNC looks good?"

Fuck no. Because it's UNC blue Red is a much prettier color to start with

Quote :

"Unique. Just like the other 4000 people who are wearing the exact same unsightly piece of shit."

Unique: different from the other hundreds of colleges/universities that do wear black. No one's making an argument about being unique within their graduating class.

Quote :

"Couldn't we just keep the black caps and gowns and add some more red to it here and there? "

That would also work. It'd also look very nice to have black trimming on red gowns.

I would like to think these will look nice, but NCSU has knack for fucking shit up by even thinking about messing with it.

10/28/2009 10:26:33 AM

you people

10/28/2009 10:27:57 AM

Quote :

"vinylbandit is smarter than you 34171 Posts user info edit post they should be white with red trim and say STATE on the front 10/28/2009 5:12:28 AM hooksaw All American 13677 Posts user info edit post ^ LOL! Nobody liked them either. 10/28/2009 5:28:09 AM"

By nobody I guess you mean everybody

10/28/2009 10:37:00 AM

So glad I'm having to stick around for a 5th year so I can wear RED in May!

10/28/2009 11:06:18 AM

It'll look like my high school graduation...

10/28/2009 12:03:58 PM

i support red caps and gowns

10/28/2009 12:11:22 PM

For what it is worth, traditionally it was the lining of the bachelor's (or any degree-level) hood that reflected the colors of the granting university, not the gown. It appears that the bachelor's hood has mostly disappeared from commencements save for use at smaller liberal arts colleges. Only the very oldest universities originally used colored doctoral gowns, though again, more recently, this has changed as well ::sniff::

Not that I have a dog in this fight, but had anyone asked me I would have suggested a return to the use of the bachelor's hood which not only reflects the color of the university, but whose felt trim color indicates the nature of the degree.

10/28/2009 12:29:51 PM

Quote :

"Would you show up to your wedding in a fucking red tuxedo? Seriously."

Not the best analogy.

And honestly...who gives a shit. I was a little disappointed in the black myself. Would have loved to wear a red cap and gown. Might have actually kept my cap and gown had it been red.

10/28/2009 12:30:16 PM

i hope they remember to change the honors sashes

well just the red one i guess.

10/28/2009 12:33:30 PM

im with kiljadn on this one.

i just personally think it looks weird.
i mean i generally hate traditions, but i equally hate breaking traditions for the minor fact that it looks "cooler".

the only exception being for truly super personal events (ie- a wedding or birthday or something of sorts..)

and also on a symbolic level-it just seems awkward, in a way that is more complicated for me to go into right now.
but its just me.



[Edited on October 28, 2009 at 1:55 PM. Reason : in my overlty honest and humble opinion]

10/28/2009 1:52:46 PM

^^ That was addressed in the OP story.

Quote :

"During the meeting, the committee addressed two questions: Whether or not to put any emblems on the new gowns and whether to keep using sashes to denote honors or to switch to cords. Hunt proposed the idea to switch from sashes to cords because the sash that denotes the graduating magna cum laude is the same color red as the new gowns, making the sash virtually impossible to see from a distance. However, the committee agreed to stick to sashes and simply change the color of the magna cum laude sash to a deeper red or another color."

Quote :

"The sash will also bear the University’s seal at the bottom in case it covers up the seal on the robe."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote :

"Not that I have a dog in this fight, but had anyone asked me I would have suggested a return to the use of the bachelor's hood which not only reflects the color of the university, but whose felt trim color indicates the nature of the degree."

GreatGazoo

I have a hood from my undergrad alma mater. I think this would be a good way to go.

10/28/2009 3:05:31 PM

this is so fucking gay

stick with black, it's classy and traditional

and we're being gay by trying to be like UNC, who is already gay b/c they wear powder blue caps/gowns, or ECU who wear purple ones, or Peace who wear green ones

lets just jump on the fucking bandwagon and be "unique"

super

10/28/2009 4:23:50 PM

^ exactly.


Not to mention that as much as I like red....


too much of it is a fucking eyesore


SEE:

the Carolina Hurricanes

10/28/2009 7:27:50 PM

I second the red overalls. We also should have cowbells to ring when we graduate.

10/28/2009 8:09:17 PM

what damn difference does it make?

ncsu shits on its students daily and everyone's worried about the goddamn color of the robes you wear when you get to leave this godforsaken place

[Edited on October 29, 2009 at 12:22 AM. Reason : gfd]

10/29/2009 12:21:21 AM

It's hilarious how some here are acting like the proposed change from black caps and gowns to red will be no big deal. How about the next time you go to a wedding, a church/synagogue/mosque, a job interview, and so on you wear your loud ass red suit--with white trim?



Go Wolfpack!

10/29/2009 3:01:47 AM

it will be a big deal now, but not in 10-20 years when everyone is used to it

10/29/2009 5:42:14 AM

Quote :

"It's hilarious how some here are acting like the proposed change from black caps and gowns to red will be no big deal. How about the next time you go to a wedding, a church/synagogue/mosque, a job interview, and so on you wear your loud ass red suit--with white trim?"

It wouldn't be a big deal if everyone else at the wedding/church/synagogue/mosque/job interview were also wearing the same red suit with white trim.

You guys are making the dumbest fucking analogies to argue against this thing.

10/29/2009 7:59:58 AM

Harvard



Cornell



There are more, but I guess you get the point.

10/29/2009 8:49:00 AM

I think these have the potential to look really nice. I'll reserve judgment until they release a picture of them.

10/29/2009 9:28:26 AM

I was coming in here to post exactly ^^ like Ernie posted

Red caps and gowns = sweet. I definitely wanted them to be red when I graduated...I'm jealous.

10/29/2009 9:37:59 AM

those are, or should be, doctoral gowns
NCSU will be 100% red if they do an appropriate undergrad gown
dipshits

10/29/2009 9:41:23 AM

Quote :

"those are, or should be, doctoral gowns"

And why does that matter?

10/29/2009 10:08:43 AM

there will be no black arm stripes (chevrons?) on the undergraduate gown
no black stripe down the middle either

believe it or not, doctoral gowns are "fancier" than undergraduate gowns, thus it is entirely illusory to show those doctoral gowns as what the NCSU undergrad gowns would look like

100% red, not red and black, is the appropriate undergraduate gown design

10/29/2009 10:14:49 AM

that or harvard is just weird

10/29/2009 12:31:21 PM

Quote :

"believe it or not, doctoral gowns are 'fancier' than undergraduate gowns, thus it is entirely illusory to show those doctoral gowns as what the NCSU undergrad gowns would look like"

He's right.

10/29/2009 1:10:21 PM

Yall are going to look like a bunch of tampons.

10/29/2009 1:51:30 PM

Quote :

"It's hilarious how some here are acting like the proposed change from black caps and gowns to red will be no big deal. How about the next time you go to a wedding, a church/synagogue/mosque, a job interview, and so on you wear your loud ass red suit--with white trim?"

Why do you think a graduation ceremony is analogous to those things? And none of those are comparable to a job interview really. A wedding is personal, worship should be personal. You're being evaluated during a job interview. I just don't get how you see those events as comparable. And a red suit is not the same as a red graduation gown.

To answer your question, if a bride and groom wanted me to wear red to their wedding, I absolutely would. If I'm in the wedding, I wear what they ask. If I'm a guest, I dress accordingly. Whether the wedding is casual, or formal. If it's formal, I dress how I think they and their family may expect me to dress. Again, it's their day, not mine.

I don't recall the tone of my ceremony being all that serious. There was joking and playfulness. The entire thing is symbolic and ultimately is only what you make of it. An employer has never asked to see my diploma (which means nothing), nor have they asked to see video or photos from my graduation (because, who cares). They have asked for official transcripts and sometimes for it to be sealed by the university -- that's serious stuff. Graduation is a brief celebration of the work we've done and our time at NCSU. That's it. If you don't go to graduation, do you not get your degree? No, because it's not that serious. Has an employer ever required that you've gone to graduation before they'll hire you? No, because it's not that serious.

This is not somebody else's wedding we're talking about. A wedding is about the couple being married, not me. And it's sure as fuck not a job interview. Graduation is about the graduates. I'll go with what the majority wants. And it seems red gowns have been demanded. And there are many universities that use their school colors for their gowns. This is not a crazy idea that only UNC implements.

Any idea you have of red not being as "serious", "formal", or as "classy" as black is a learned notion. If you disagree, feel free to explain how black is innately more classy than red.

[Edited on October 29, 2009 at 2:49 PM. Reason : red]

10/29/2009 2:36:23 PM

^ I find it peculiar how you incessantly mention "learned" behavior like you found a new toy in the word or something. Yes, traditional customs are learned, passed down through individuals, cohorts, and generations--you have a firm grasp of the obvious.

Commencement is a ceremony; it marks the end of one thing and the beginning of another. Though some of the analogies may have been imperfect, the wedding analogy is, in fact, a good one. It's a serious ceremony that marks the end of one thing and the beginning of another. Furthermore, even secular commencements are steeped in religious traditions.

Quote :

"Academic regalia dates from the European universities of the 12th and 13th centuries. Scholars, whether students or teachers, wore robes as those of a cleric."

http://www.ece.ncsu.edu/about/committees/graduation/59.pdf

And what of NCSU tradition? Black caps and gowns are traditional here--are we going to simply throw out yet another tradition? Not to mention the traditional magna cum laude sash color proposed changes and changes for some degrees, the details of which still have to be "work[ed] out."

Quote :

"However, the committee agreed to stick to sashes and simply change the color of the magna cum laude sash to a deeper red or another color."

Quote :

"We still have the details to work out with some of the different degrees, but I think this will be something that brings students together and does a lot of positive things for N.C. State [said Jay Dawkins].'"

http://www.technicianonline.com/news/university-will-switch-graduation-robes-to-red-1.2040343

Again, I'm trying to keep an open mind, but I'm just concerned about how red caps and gowns are going to look. I know Jay a little bit and he's a good guy and I applaud his initiative and that of others involved--and he may be absolutely right about the change forming a new tradition, but I'm still unsure.

[Edited on October 29, 2009 at 5:24 PM. Reason : .]

10/29/2009 5:04:11 PM

Yeah man, I found a new toy in the word. I've mentioned it twice. On the other hand, you have either flat out stated or insinuated that black is classier or more serious a few times and it's been mentioned more than once by a couple of other people. None of you have said why it's more classier.

Quote :

"Yes, traditional customs are learned, passed down through individuals, cohorts, and generations--you have a firm grasp of the obvious."

Are you acknowledging that black is not in fact classier, and that this is a belief you picked up somewhere and that it's not based in logic (or that it's complete bullshit)? If so, I'm assuming you'll stop using that to support your claim that black gowns are better than red.


You're right, in some ways the wedding analogy is good. Both are commencements. However, there are several significant differences. Since you don't like me spelling out the obvious, I'll let you determine for yourself how weddings and graduation ceremonies differ.

Quote :

"And what of NCSU tradition? Black caps and gowns are traditional here"

Is the black gown really a "tradition?" I'm not sure I believe that something being done consistently automatically makes it a "tradition" in the sense you're using the word. I brush my teeth every morning, I don't really consider that "a tradition." And when something is mandatory, it's difficult for me to respect it as "a tradition." If we had the option of wearing any color cap and gown we wanted and all of the students always went with black, I would consider that an NCSU tradition.

Maybe there's a story behind it I'm not aware of, I don't know. But while we traditionally wear black caps and gowns, it's not "a tradition" as far as I know. Sorry to be so incessant about the tradition thing... I just wanted to make it as clear as possible.

You don't like it, that sucks. You've been incessant that you're keeping an open mind, why? It's not hard to find photos of red graduation caps and gowns. It shouldn't be difficult to get an idea of how it will look.

I would highly recommend that those who really don't like the idea, write letters. I doubt people who prefer the black were writing letters every year asking to keep the gowns black. Unless there was a vote/poll or something that I'm not aware of, simply going off of requests for red gowns probably isn't a fair representation of what the students and alumni actually want to see.

10/29/2009 6:14:01 PM