A Very Traditional Graduation

From April 16, 2010

The yearly Lincoln University graduation was held April 16, 2010. You are probably thinking the same thing we were… why would graduation be in the middle of spring semester. We didn’t get an answer but we got to be there and I got to participate.
Soon after we arrived in New Zealand I read a flyer at the cafeteria here on Lincoln Campus. They were inviting people to join the university choir. I thought I would be the only none student, but actually, there were about four students and about thirty professors and staff. We were going to sing at graduation. We prepared several numbers, some I was familiar with. But I loved the opportunity to sing the New Zealand National Anthem, first verse in Maori, the second in English. We also sang a traditional German piece which is part of the British graduation tradition. Here are a few of our observations:

We were all to wear the traditional regalia. I got to wear the black gown, a master’s hood and the mortar board hat. It was fun to see all the other hoods from around the world, worn by teachers and administrators. I loved the hoods that were edged in fur. Graduation was held at Christchurch Town Hall in the auditorium. Graduation started with the in-house organ being played by a wonderful organist. The choir then sang twenty minutes, ending with a song accompanied by the organ, “Gloria In Excelsis Deo.” Then the graduates marched in. This was British graduation tradition with the Maori influence; then came the processional of the dignitaries, administrator and professors. The first man carried a gold scepter. Then as everyone was on the stage, in came the leaders of the local Maori tribe to welcome the guests. One woman chanted from the stage while three ladies in traditional cloaks chanted back. When the PhD’s got their diplomas…and everyone got their diplomas that day…the announcer read the title of each of their dissertations. Because 45 percent of the students are foreign students, it was very interesting to hear what the students were doing and how it was influenced by their home countries. A young man from Nairobi was doing something with chemicals in the soils of his country…and can I say he had on the coolest shoes. They were dress black European style shoes with the long narrow square toe but they had gold paisley designs on them. I wondered if we were distant relatives with my family’s need to wear sparkly, fun shoes at graduation. One of the LDS members of our ward graduated with her Master’s degree. She is Maori and wore her family Maori cloak over her black gown. She had had an emergency appendectomy eight days before and they had had to open her completely up. She even spoke in the graduation ceremony. What an impressive woman. But the thing Jack and I noticed most was the lack of air horns, no “Hi Mom” taped messaged on the top of the mortar board or balloons, no giant balls being pinged around the graduates, no flip-flops (Kiwis call them Jandles) and definitely no streakers. This ceremony was traditional and respectful. The students and professors were honored. It was lovely. I just kept thinking how much my mom would have loved it. I think we have lost something in America. We have become lax with many of our traditions. It was nice to remember why we attend and have graduations.