In just a few short weeks, the class of 2024 will be celebrating our graduation with friends and family. We’ll don our caps and gowns, walk across the stage to receive our diplomas, and take photographs that we’ll show our children and grandchildren one day. We’ll receive countless exclamations of “Congratulations!” or “Well done!”
But something I hope no one will say is, “Why on earth are you wearing those silly graduation cords? We all know you did the work, so why broadcast it?”
Surprisingly, I’ve heard this kind of thing from friends around campus. And believe me, I understand. In this busy season of job hunting and senior festivities, the last thing graduating seniors want to do is remember to place an order for their honorary’s cords or stoles. It seems so unnecessary. After all, we’re only on stage for a few seconds and we’ll never use our cords again. So why bother? If you did the work to achieve a high GPA or earn a spot in your major’s honorary society, shouldn’t that be a sufficient reward for you in and of itself?
It’s an understandable argument, especially for Hillsdale students trained to be humble and find joy in their work for its own sake, without any external recognition. But this mindset could lead to a modernist stripping of tradition from society, like Niccolo Machiavelli sought to do in his introductory letter of “The Prince,” where he criticizes the concept of ornamentation because it is a symbol of the eternal things, like beauty, justice, and virtue.
There’s something special about symbolism, something our culture has lost sight of in its never-ending attempt to smear tradition as outdated and materialistic. It’s why a bride and groom exchange rings, a queen wears a crown, and the bereaved wear black at a funeral. Physical symbols act as a visual representation of a higher ideal. They remind us of the beauty and value of something that is unseen. They’re like Plato’s Forms that are represented by mere physical images, acting as placeholders and reminders of the Good.
Graduation cords for an honorary, fellowship, or on-campus club are of course not as serious or permanent as wedding rings or diadems. But, they are an important sign of the academic excellence and extracurricular achievement that crowns our four-year journey at Hillsdale. Graduation from college is a significant achievement, and just like the caps and gowns we will wear, graduation cords serve as a physical symbol of the sacrifice and determination that went into finishing our degrees.
No one faults a bride for wearing a beautiful white gown on her wedding day, criticizes King Charles for donning elaborate regalia at his coronation, or wonders why a family dresses up for Easter Sunday. Physical symbols like these denote a certain respect for one’s own status or reflect the dignity an occasion commands. Humans are body as well as spirit and sight as well as mind — symbols beautifully synthesize this duality of human nature and reflect the higher things.
So, my fellow seniors, wear your graduation cords on May 11 and hold your head high, knowing that they are not a sign of vanity, but a representation of your interests, involvements, achievements, and community that has shaped your character during the past four years at Hillsdale. These cords are a sign of the diligence that accompanied the struggles and joys of college and the excellence that it resulted in — celebrating that is a worthy thing indeed.
