The celebration of Commencement is surrounded by rich traditions.
Graduates don the attire that for years has symbolized scholarship attainment.
During the Middle Ages those seeking an education traveled to European centers of learning. Centers of learning and universities were closely allied with the clerics of the time, and the scholars donned garb similar to that worn by the clergy. This evolved into the academic uniform, a long black gown, hood, and cap, which proved useful for studying in unheated and drafty buildings. The hood served simultaneously as a head covering, a repository for coins and alms and the forerunner of the modern day book bag. The hood was adorned with the colors of the university and designated the young scholar's school or university affiliation.