Graduation (written for my sister's masters graduation)

Graduation is a funny thing. The ceremony itself doesn’t seem to properly highlight the meaning and magnitude of the accomplishment. First of all, graduates are forced to wear odd flat square hats. These seem to symbolize that the cranium has been lodged up against a ceiling, and the ceiling says, “this far, no further!” The image evokes a feeling of stagnation, complacence- of having reached the end of a journey or fulfilled all of one’s potential. In fact, those wearing the metaphorical ceilings have not arrived at the end of anything, but rather the beginning of everything. If the graduates are to be forced to wear a hat, it should be conical in shape, pointing skyward, because the sky is, as the saying goes, the limit. Ok, so that would be almost as stupid as the flat hats and would make the convocation more closely resemble a wizard convention rather than a graduation, but hopefully you get my point. While we’re on the topic of apparel, I might as well comment on the rest of the ensemble as well. All the students wear the same drab gown, and, upon observation by the semi-conscious audience, blend together into one monochromatic mass, unwillingly conforming to the crowd. This contradicts the significance of what graduating means. You’ve distinguished yourself both as a student and a person; proven that you are capable of anything and have established your individuality in the academic and post academic world. If anything, students should be allowed to “pimp” their gowns, so to speak, and make it their own, thus reflecting what they have done for their futures. The students’ stunning and unique personalities should be showcased at a graduation as it is these personalities, and components thereof, which allowed them this moment.