From The Editor’s Desk: Why Do I Have to Buy A Cap and Gown?

In recent weeks commencement-related tasks and notices have increasingly flooded the inboxes of fourth-year students. While the process of registering for graduation has been fairly straightforward, there’s one aspect of the pomp and circumstance I feel is absurd enough to warrant writing about — why do I need to buy a cap and gown?

When am I ever going to wear this again? Unlike high school, I don’t have younger siblings waiting to don Loyola’s maroon. Now I’m saddled with a heap of polyester that’ll sit in my closet collecting dust and patiently awaiting the sweet release of being eaten by moths. 

Beyond the slightly annoying cost of the garment — a drop in the bucket compared to what we pay in tuition to reach this milestone — I worry about the totally avoidable environmental effects that result from the manufacture of these single-use smocks. 

Loyola could build upon its sustainability efforts and cut waste by purchasing maybe 1,000 or so caps and gowns and storing them for re-use every December and May. I think there could be a carve out for those who want to put a fun design on their cap, and students would still have the opportunity for further personalization with stoles, cords and medals — keepsakes actually worth holding onto.

With the one-size-fits-all maroon regalia, wouldn’t it make much more sense to embrace a communal system, like those used for life jackets or intramural sport pennies, but for gowns?

This would undoubtedly cut into the margins of Big Cap and Gown, but I’m sure they could weather the storm. Meanwhile, we’re saving a few bucks for fresh graduates attempting to enter the professional world or worse — grad school. 

If they go down this road, Loyola could chart a new path for higher education and save us all a bit of room in the back corner of our closets.