HERALD EDITORIAL: Renting graduation gowns looks sharp and is better for the environment

The end of a semester brings with it a welcome event for many students: graduation.

Completion of a college degree is a milestone in our lives and marks a time for celebration.  At Western Michigan University, we have a rich tradition in graduation ceremonies complimented by a little nationally accepted ritual.

On graduation day we don our regalia and display our symbols of achievement; gowns, hoods and cords all symbolize the hard work and sacrifice we’ve made to get to this point.
Of course, at a school the size of WMU, orchestrating the process of getting gowns to graduate is a little more complex than it may seem.

First, our school colors are brown and gold but we walk in black gowns.  We were a little curious why we aren’t showcasing our school spirit through the colors of our gowns.  We spoke with Terence “Terry” Hudson, director of the WMU bookstore, regarding issues surrounding caps and gowns.

Hudson said WMU did look into brown and gold gowns and the idea was rejected.  The graduation board and board of trustees looked at samples and were not impressed.  The brown and gold gowns just didn’t look good; so black it is.  After all, there is no reason not to look good on graduation day.

Not too long ago, WMU used to sell these gowns and students would keep them following the ceremony.

Now, we use rented gowns and return them after we walk.  We looked into reasons for this change and the benefits it offers.

First, WMU is one of the largest schools currently using the rental system.

“It is just easier [to sell gowns] but, we decided to go the other way and use rental gowns,” Hudson said.

And there must be a good reason because this process creates a lot more work for bookstore employees.

Hudson decided to explore rental gowns after coming across an article by chance.  He described that WMU had always sold gowns in the past because this was just the way things were done.

Upon deciding there is more benefit to rented gowns, Hudson and WMU changed the process. He said faculty has been renting these for years.

In the past, one of our ceremonies would send about 4,000 throw-away gowns into landfills; as sentimental as people may be, most of these gowns are not kept.  The rental system eliminates waste.
Hudson did his homework because sending gowns out for dry cleaning creates another environmental issue: chemical use in the cleaning process.

Dry cleaning fluid, affectionately referred to as “perc,” is not so good.  It affects the nervous system and is historically very difficult to contain in the event of a spill.

This kind of makes all our traditional dry cleaning facilities a potential little superfund, which sounds nice but the EPA will tell us otherwise.

So, Hudson found a system to eliminate solid waste without the use of perc.  Our rentals are organized through Willsie Cap and Gown, www.willsieco.com, and washed in cold water upon return.  No waste, no chlorocarbons and not a whole lot of energy use; this actually helps society out.

As far as the procedural guidelines we have to follow at graduation, we should expect the process to be pretty OK.

Hudson indicated all students will have ample opportunity to take pictures before the gowns need be returned.  When we do return these at Brown Hall there will be a computer kiosk to collect our information and get a proof of return.  We keep the caps, hoods and cords.

And if we can get our hands on a black gown without renting it, we are more than welcome to do this.  All we need is a black graduation gown; it doesn’t have to be issued through the bookstore.
This brings up another point: WMU is not making any more money off the rental system.  It does create more work for bookstore staff though.

WMU is using this system because we are a progressive school, capable of looking more than a day into the future.

We care as an institution because our faculty, staff and students are insightful enough to challenge status quo every once in awhile.

Regardless of what is happening behind the scenes, graduation should be a relatively care-free event for graduates, which is only appropriate given the stress we suffered along the way.

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=5321

Posted by HeraldAdmin on Mar 31 2009. Filed under Editorial, Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
Web Manager: I'm a Communication Student at WMU, a SCUBA Diver, Boater, Ordained Minister, Notary Public, Web Designer, Film Maker, DJ, and of course a Journalist. Born and raised in Port Huron, MI and a graduate of SC4. http://www.codykimball.com