Graduating students can buy regalia on sale Tuesday at GradFest
Senioritis is setting in and graduating students are preparing for commencement on May 16. GradFest, a one-stop shop for University of Idaho students gearing up to graduate, is available for students to grab their commencement gear before prices increase next month.
Yishan Chen | Argonaut
Ron Dingman, Sarah Barnish and Ryan Wagner wait for students to get photographed during GradFest on Monday, Dingman (left) is a professional photographer from Portland, Oregon.
GradFest will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Vandal Ballroom on the second floor of the Bruce Pitman Center, formerly the Student Union Building. Hugh Cooke, associate director of Alumni Relations, said students can purchase regalia — such as caps, gowns and tassels — at early-bird prices and take the merchandise home the same day.
“Students are encouraged to do this, they’ll save money and see the product,” Cooke said. “Even if they go home undecided, they can go back online and reorder, but it’s nice to see and check and investigate the products.”
Cooke said regalia can be ordered online last minute, but on April 5 the price will go up $30. The early-bird prices are $53 for a bachelor’s unit and $73 for a masters unit. He said students sometimes borrow used gowns or find them at thrift stores, which is acceptable as long as it is black. Individual items are available for purchase if they already have a gown and just need a tassel or cap to go with it.
Rental units for doctorate and faculty regalia will be available as well.
Students will also have an opportunity to purchase class rings at discounted prices. They can also pick out announcements, diploma frames and get graduation photos taken.
“That day they can get a picture taken in a cap and gown and get one copy free,” Cooke said. “So if they do nothing else they can stop and get their picture taken.”
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m, UI Creative Services will hold the “Confessions of a College Graduate” video shoot. The video is a montage of clips from students, individually or in groups, saying thank you to family or faculty, or to tell a memorable or funny story, said Kyle Howerton, UI digital media producer.
“It’s cool to see that a lot of people are willing to share any story,” Howerton said. “It’s really just connecting with one student at a time. We set up all that stuff and it looks intimidating, but really, at the end of the day, it’s just me having a conversation with whoever’s in front of the camera.”
Howerton said he talks to the students for 5-10 minutes, and takes the videos and edits them down into quick outtakes, about 10 seconds each. Howerton’s team then puts the clips together into five, four-minute “episodes,” which are played in the Kibbie Dome at the beginning of the commencement ceremony. He said the videos, spontaneous and informal, help lighten the mood of the formal ceremony.
Cindy Johnson, director of Creative Services, said she thinks the video shoot is a fun opportunity for students to capture their stories and be recognized at graduation — and it’s free.
“The university is proud of their graduates,” Johnson said. “That really is what we’re about is that kind of success, and so you get that vibe from hearing those stories … and it’s fun to do.”
Mary Malone can be reached at [email protected]