I have tried to write this blog in such a way that makes it accessible to incoming Freshman while showing Loyola in hindsight or from a more seasoned perspective. For the most part, I think I have done an alright job. My last post may have pushed the limit, and this one even more so.

However, this will be relevant one day to you, dear reader, unless you happen to be one of my friends or family who read this blog (Hi mom!). Contrary to popular belief I sometimes think it is beneficial to know how something ends before you start. Like a fine meal! How could you know to enjoy dessert if you ate your fill in the first 4 courses?

Leaving bad analogies behind now.

Like my Senior friends before me, and theirs before them, I picked up my cap and gown yesterday. (In case you are wondering, it came to about $58 with the tassel and everything.) All in all it was a much briefer experience than I expected. Truth be told, I had always imagined picking up graduation apparel as a long and involved process in a big loud room buzzing with every graduating senior. Instead, the whole thing took less than 10 minutes, and I spent some time making small talk. I bet I could have been in and out in 5.

The nice thing is that Loyola makes very sure you do not miss out on anything, so if you find yourself wondering when you will be able to get graduation apparel, don’t worry. Loyola will make it obvious. The emails and messages were very easy to follow. Plus, they have 3 separate days of the “grad fair” that takes place between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m, so there is plenty of time to fit it into your schedule.

Once I arrived it was just a matter of asking where the apparel table was (I skipped all the gimmicky class ring stuff) and telling them my degree so that they could find the right color tassel. Then I got in line to pay (correction: there was NO line- the event runs so long that people just come and go as they please) and chatted with the teller while she rang up my things.

Then I left.

Now my graduation gear is sitting on a shelf in my closet, unopened. It will probably only get put on once. I’ve played in the band for the commencement ceremonies and already sat through 3 years’ worth of ceremonies for all 9 of Loyola’s schools. I do not plan to attend any more than I have to this year (I could go through 3, but I’m only doing the School of Communications.)

Then I’ll have a nice dinner with the family, and “go light the world on fire” 🙂