Cap and Gown Doesn't Always Mean Graduation

Recently, I saw the seniors get their cap and gown and rock it out. They were taking pictures out on the lawn (in the typical Chinese way) and continued to take them all over. I later saw them eating in the dining hall with them on...

I thought “Man, they really are proud of those. They haven’t taken them off and are wearing them around everywhere.” It was kind of strange to me to be walking in the school supermarket and pass someone with their cap and gown on just looking at the rack of mystery meat trying to pick his favorite flavor of… who knows what.

Another senior student told us some details later. The school doesn’t have enough of the uniforms for all the seniors. “Oh man! That sucks.” I felt sorry for them and a little frustrated that not everyone got one... until he continued on.

He explained how they don’t actually wear them for the ceremony. “Hu?!” They just pass them out to let students take pictures in them and then they rotate the uniforms around for all the students. So for the past week and a half I have seen seniors out on the lawn every sunny day taking pictures of themselves in cap and gown. Since they only get to use them for a few days they just get good use out of them and wear them all over. I’d support it in dining hall 3 then too.

They said that the cap and gown is more of a western thing and it’s just now starting to pick up in China. It’s not that popular though and seems kind of foreign to them, but they like it and to get to take pictures in them. It also turns out that during the graduation ceremony their parents don’t even come. “Say whaaaaa?! Pssh, my mama would be in the front row despite what culture she’s in.” I guess graduation is a big deal, but it’s not the big celebrated event. From what I can tell, high school graduation was more just your class getting together and celebrating with your teachers and classmates. My officemate just defended her thesis for her masters and I got excited about the graduation. She said her and her classmates went out with her professor and advisor for a dinner to celebrate. They’ll send her the certificate in a few weeks – but that’s how they celebrate. A little different from the west.

Hope you enjoy. I’m graduating from my first year at Hua Qiao this Saturday! We leave for Beijing for a few days then I’ll be  home next Wednesday (June 22) mentally 12 hours ahead and physically probably 48 hours behind. Happy Graduation!