THE FACTS: Graduation and commencement planners will be evaluating prototypes for red graduation gowns Oct. 9.
OUR OPINION: This is a welcome change, but planners need to solicit student input quickly and get the new design approved and available for order for seniors graduating in December.
Officials on the Commencement Board will be meeting with suppliers next week to look at several proposed new designs for red graduation gowns.
It’s about time. Students show up to athletic events and try to “red out” the student sections — it’s about time we had the same sort of unity at graduation. And there is no need to have students graduate wearing black.
Graduation and commencement are a time of new beginnings and fresh opportunities — students should be wearing appropriately festive colors instead of dressing in funeral black. And since not all of us look as good in black as Johnny Cash, the graduation gowns need to change.
But this should not be a hasty process. Students need to give plenty of feedback on the proposed designs for the new graduation gowns — there is no need for a repeat of the basketball jersey fiasco. Yet planners need to work efficiently, as the current plan is to have the new gowns available in May — these new gowns should be available to seniors graduating in December.
Vendors will present four prototypes for the new graduation gowns Oct. 9. However, students, who are the people actually wearing the gowns, will be out of town or off-campus during Fall Break. Thus, there will be limited opportunities for students to have a say in what designs look appealing and what designs need to be scrapped before vendors make any further changes.
Graduation and commencement planners need to actively solicit student feedback on the new designs as soon as vendors present the prototypes. Online surveys are a quick way to get rapid feedback from a large number of students, and focus groups can help answer more specific questions. Planners need to get pictures of the proposed gown designs online for students to vote on before making any selections.
And this needs to happen soon. Some seniors will graduate in December, and there is no reason they should have to attend a cold graduation ceremony dressed in a black gown. Regardless of graduation date, all seniors in the 2009-2010 year should be able to look back proudly as the first graduating class to sport the color everyone associates with this University. Other universities have gowns in school colors, and students should jump at the opportunity to “red out” the last major event of their college careers as an undergraduate.
