When did this trend start??

4 I finished my BSN in March, but I walked yesterday. What is with the over the top decorating of the mortar boards? When I got my ADN, many of my classmates decorated theirs, but I saw some outrageous, and some very unprofessional ones at that. Not just nursing. They split up the different colleges and the Health Sciences walked with Education. I have walked 4 other times and don't remember this from a few years ago.
Graduation is a personal experience. Some choose to make it a celebration.

yes, but to put "i busted mine to save yours" on a mortar board is really unprofessional. Maybe it's just me, but graduation is a life changing event and it just seems to cheapen it. I saw one hat that had about 30 pink plastic flowers glued to it. Not sure what the point of that was. All I know is that I have never seen this until the last 3 or so years. I walked in 93, 95, 05 12 and 15 and didn't see it until '12. I guess I am old-fashioned

Because they think they are special.They aren't, no one cares.

I enjoy the decorated mortar boards as well as the amazing shoes some choose. It's celebration!

dranger nailed it

Well . ... . when I graduated from a community college with my ADN we were told not to make ourselves stand out from the rest of the graduates. We all had to look the same even though we were graduate nurses. So, some of us rebelled . . . .. . . . and wrote "RN" on the mortar board. We were also told we couldn't have a pinning ceremony because it was unprofessional. We organized our own off campus. The head-honcho nurse told the instructors they couldn't attend but two of them did anyway. I dunno - some rebellion is good and some goes too far. But who gets to make that choice?

My niece walked last night, and I was complaining about the same thing. People don't seem to understand that each part of the outfit has a special meaning. e.g. You can tell whether the person is getting a BS or an MS or a PhD just from the sleeves of the gown. They can tell what school the degree is from and what degree it is in based on the colors in the hood. There is a rich tradition in the design of the cap and gown. Each person is not getting their own unique degree. They are getting a specific degree that is signified by their attire. I was also complaining about cow bells, air horns, whistles, and yelling from the audience when their special snowflake's name was announced. It didn't matter that the dean had asked the audience to hold their applause until all graduates had been announced so all names could be heard.Are there no formal, dignified ceremonies anymore?Also is there no way to make people understand that a t-shirt with shorts or jeans is NOT appropriate for EVERY occassion?

I do think a graduation ceremony should be traditional but I don't really see the problem with dressing up a morter if it's done tastefully. A few friends and I got together and decorated ours with them all just saying BSN. I am not offending anyone with what I put on it and I get to be creative with my graduation in this way.I paid for college and I paid for my morter so I can do as I please with my morter on graduation day. It's my day, I shouldn't have to please others with what I choose to do with a morter I paid for. I also anticipate putting together a shadow box in which my cap would be the main piece.

Quote from mmc51264yes, but to put "i busted mine to save yours" on a mortar board is really unprofessional. Maybe it's just me, but graduation is a life changing event and it just seems to cheapen it. I saw one hat that had about 30 pink plastic flowers glued to it. Not sure what the point of that was. All I know is that I have never seen this until the last 3 or so years. I walked in 93, 95, 05 12 and 15 and didn't see it until '12. I guess I am old-fashioned

We hire ours when graduating so decorating is a no no

When I graduated with my first Bachelor's degree 25 yrs ago from a large university, all my family could see was a sea of blue gowns and mortar boards. There was no way they could pick me out. A few years later, my ex graduated from the same school. When she graduated, she marked the top of her mortar board so that we could identify her in the crowd. Very few others did the same. I think that over the years graduates have become more and more over the top, that it has become excessive.

I just kinda figured it was an easy way for your family to pick you out of the crowd. Are people who tie stuff to their suitcases special snowflakes as well?My siblings all graduated in the 90s and early 2000s and I saw this all over the place. Even at my brother's hooding ceremony. (Where my mom almost punched a protesting Westboro Baptist member. RIP mom abd and happy Mother's Day.)