Dripping Life May 7

I was a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963, while riding in a presidential motorcade through the city.

When we graduated at the end of May the following year, our world had returned to normal -- mostly -- although the memory pictures of the President slumping in the back of the convertible, First Lady Jackie Kennedy’s frantic attempts to summon help, Jack Ruby shooting Oswald, and a multitude of related thoughts were all still deeply etched in our minds.

Ironically, my eldest grandson -- Dripping Springs High School, Class of 2020 -- will also look back on a similarly unique graduation as a result of this national pandemic. As of this writing, plans regarding the ceremony remain undecided.

In the interim, I wanted to do some research about some of the traditions we observe as classes of high school seniors move to the next steps in their lives. The following is what I discovered about some of their origins.

Much like weddings, graduations are important cultural traditions -- a rite of passage that has three ritualistic steps. First, walking into the ceremony represents a separation of society. Second, the speeches (called the inculcation) preparing the graduates to transformation and lastly, the graduates returning to society with a new status.

“Pomp & Circumstance,” also known as The Graduation March, was once known as “Land of Hope and Glory.” Written by Sir Edward Elgar in 1901, the title, “Pomp and Circumstance,” comes from a line in Shakespeare’s Othello, “Pride, pomp and circumstance of glorious war!” In 1902, lyrics were written by poet/essayist Arthur Christopher Benson to celebrate the crowning of King Edward the VII. 

The music first became associated with graduation ceremonies at Yale University in 1905 when Elgar received an honorary doctorate and it was played. Today Elgar’s piece has become so widely used, it’s rare to attend a graduation event without it.

Valedictorian and Salutatorian -- The tradition of selecting a valedictorian goes back to 1772 at The College of William & Mary, when Norborne Berkeley – formally known as Lord Botetourt – arrived from England to serve as Governor of Virginia. He fell in love with the colony and college. To show his appreciation for the school and the student body, he put up a gold medal as the prize awarded to the student most skilled in Latin—both in written composition and oratory. The victorious student, selected by the college president and faculty, was then designated as the valedictorian. The word comes from the Latin “valedīcere,” which means “to say goodbye.” The valedictorian delivers the farewell address at commencement. It was an enjoyable way for the honored student to show off with good natured quips and quotes in Latin.

By 1920 many American public high schools had adopted the practice of awarding honors, including valedictorian. Latin oratory excellence was soon replaced by the student with the highest grade point average (GPA) as the criterion.

Selecting a salutatorian is usually awarded to the student with the second highest GPA in the class. Traditionally, the salutatorian's role was being the first speaker at a graduation ceremony, delivering the salutation (where the valedictorian, on the other hand, speaks last, delivering the valediction). A salutatorian may also be asked to speak about the current graduating class or to deliver an invocation or benediction. In some instances, the salutatorian may even deliver an introduction for the valedictorian. The general themes of a salutatorian speech and valediction are usually of growth, outlook towards the future, and thankfulness. 

Cap and Gown -- the outfit that signifies a graduate is the cap and gown. The use of the graduation gown began in the 12th century at Oxford University in England for a very practical reason. At that time, no heating systems existed in universities. Therefore, scholars were mainly interested in ways to keep warm during their ceremonies. Graduates started wearing long robes with hoods to prevent being cold. Later in that century, gowns were added as the official attire of academics.

Today, it is customary in most high schools that graduates wear caps and gowns, either black or a school color. The gown should fall midway between the knee and ankle.

The graduation cap also has roots in this time period. The cap is sometimes called a mortarboard because of the resemblance it has to a tool used by masons to hold mortar. The caps became popular in the 14th and 15th centuries and were worn by artists and students. These hats were used to signify superiority and intelligence -- and to keep heads warm. At this time, the caps were commonly red in color to signify blood and life.In present day commencement ceremonies, the cap should be worn flat on the head and parallel to the floor. The front point of the cap should be centered on the forehead. Today’s students often decorate their mortarboards as a way of self-expression and a way for families to pick their grads out of the crowd.

Moving the Tassel from Right to Left. The use of a tassel adorning a graduation cap only started in the last 60 to 70 years. The tassel was originally designed to decorate the graduate’s cap during the ceremony, but it has come to have symbolism as well. As moving the tassel from one side of the cap to the other symbolizes the individual’s movement from candidate to graduate. Prior to the ceremony the tassel is expected to be worn on the right. During the ceremony it should be moved to the left side after students receive their diploma. This custom is practiced in educational institutions nationwide.

The Graduation Stole -- The word “stole” comes from the Latin-Greek word “stola” which in English means “garment.” Graduation stoles, based on Graduation Source, were first worn by Catholic and Anglican priests in the 12th century. When officials earned a higher role in the clergy, they typically wore a stole to signify their position. In academic settings during this time, the clothing of scholars often replicated that of the church. Today, stoles, which drape down each side of the collar of the gown, signify academic achievement.

Graduation Honor Cords-- Relative newcomers to high school graduation traditions, honor cords were once relegated to college and university campuses to signify majors, minors and honor societies. Today, many high schools use cords to symbolize the areas of high school life in which the graduate has participated. Each color should be explained in the graduation program.

Tossing the Cap is a tradition begun at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1912.Prior to this time, Academy graduates were required to serve two years in the fleet as midshipmen before being commissioned as Navy officers. Therefore, they still needed their hats. The class of 1912 was commissioned from the time of graduation and received their officers’ hats thus their student uniform hats were no longer needed, leaving the graduates free to toss their caps into the air and not worry about getting them back. Now, this tradition is regarded as symbolic of the end of a chapter in a graduate’s life.

Other Graduation Celebrations -- Senior activities have changed over the years. Because my class of 1964 numbered 1,500, there was no senior trip (or perhaps no one was brave enough to chaperone). Our senior play was presented in early winter. We also had a Senior Prom and a Senior Day, which included a Senior Awards Assembly and the Senior Luncheon. There was a baccalaureate service the Sunday after before graduation, graduation itself, and the senior all-night party that followed. We rented “Six Flags” from Midnight until 6 a.m., were locked in until it closed and were fed an awful breakfast of powdered scrambled eggs, bacon and orange juice.  

The whole idea was to give seniors time together because this could be the last time -- for a long time -- they would be able to get together. That was especially true for my graduation class since many of my male classmates would soon be drafted to serve in the Vietnam War.

Whatever form this year’s DSHS graduation takes, it is certain the graduates will either experience (1) exhilaration for completing high school, (2) excitement about their next step, or (3) bewilderment about where they see themselves next and finally (4) either extreme joy or sadness for leaving the familiar and stepping into an experience with new friends, new landscapes and getting to know yourself in a whole new way.

And so farewell the class of 2020. My best wishes to all our graduating seniors. May God keep you safe in his hands, and may you have long wonderful lives filled with joy, happiness, and love.

Editor’s Note: The Century News also extends its best wishes and congratulations to the class of 2020. We echo Alice Adams’ heartfelt sentiments.