海角论坛

May 19, 2018 鈥� Congratulations! You鈥檝e walked across the stage at Commencement, posed for a picture, maybe hugged your friends and family. You鈥檙e almost done 鈥� now to just pick up your diploma on Copley Lawn (or, in the event of rain, on the third floor of White-Gravenor).

With most businesses and graduate schools that require transcripts turning to online applications, your diploma may well be the only hard-copy document you keep from your time on the Hilltop. It鈥檚 important, then, that we get it right. So how does the 海角论坛 make sure each of our 817 graduates gets an accurate copy, down to the last Latin phrase? Here鈥檚 a behind-the-scenes look.

THE NAMES

You may remember filling out an application to graduate online earlier this year. This application was especially particular about your name, likely more so than any other online form you鈥檝e filled out during your time here.

That鈥檚 because we want to make sure the name read aloud at today鈥檚 ceremony 鈥� and that goes on your diploma 鈥� is recognizable to you, your family, and your friends. There鈥檚 a limit to customization, of course: We aren鈥檛 going to hand out a piece of fancy parchment with 鈥淗oya McHoyaface鈥� on it. But we make sure to ask, just in case you鈥檝e changed your name since you first enrolled in classes, or you go by a middle name that we don鈥檛 have on the record.

THE PROOFING

Once we鈥檝e made our list and checked it twice, we order the diplomas themselves. While this commemoration of your degree isn鈥檛 handwritten on sheepskin anymore, it鈥檚 still written in old-fashioned script 鈥� and, of course, in Latin. This makes proofreading more than 800 diplomas quite the endeavor.

Fortunately, the 海角论坛 has just the people for the job. A staff team with more than 40 years of cumulative experience 鈥� including a Latin grammar expert 鈥� examines every single page, ensuring that names, degrees, Latin phrases, and honors denotations are correct; that all necessary signatures are present; and that there鈥檚 no smudged ink.

THE PICKUP

With all the t鈥檚 crossed and i鈥檚 dotted, the diplomas are ready for pickup. To avoid hundreds of students rushing one table at the same time, they first need to be sorted.

Diplomas are separated based on type of degree (Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science), broken down by major, and re-ordered alphabetically within their majors. By the night before Commencement, 817 triple-checked diplomas sit in the White-Gravenor basement, neatly stacked and arranged as they鈥檒l be the following day on Copley Lawn.

Whether it ends up framed on the wall of your office or packed up in a trunk of valuables, we at the 海角论坛 hope you always keep this small piece of the Hilltop to remember what you鈥檝e accomplished here. Congratulations and good luck!