Graduation Caps and Gowns

The Ceremony

1. 100 What document does a school award to a student who graduates? Response: a diploma A graduation is the awarding of a diploma by an educational institution. Source: Wikipedia, “Graduation”
2. 200 The first graduation ceremonies were held at the first universities on which continent? Response: Europe Ceremonies for graduating students date from the first universities in Europe in the twelfth century. Source: Wikipedia, “Graduation”
3. 300 The word graduate comes from the Latin gradus. What does gradus mean? Response: step The etymology of "degree" and "graduate" originates from gradus, meaning "step". Source: Wikipedia, “Graduation”
4. 400 What is it called when a student graduates without attending the ceremony? Response: graduation in absentia When a student graduates without attending the graduation ceremony, then it is called graduation in absentia. Source: Wikipedia, “Graduation”
5. 500 In Argentina and Uruguay, friends throw eggs and flour at new graduates in what kind of street party? Response: a carnival In countries like Argentina and Uruguay, celebrants are more enthusiastic by taking part in an authentic carnival as part of the largely spontaneous celebration on the streets. Source: Wikipedia, “Graduation”

Caps and Tassels

1. 100 Which graduation cap shares its name with the board bricklayers use to hold mortar? Response: mortarboard The square academic cap, graduate cap, cap, mortarboard (because of its similarity in appearance to the mortarboard used by brickmasons to hold mortar), or Oxford cap is an item of academic dress consisting of a horizontal square board fixed upon a skull-cap, with a tassel attached to the center. Source: Wikipedia, “Square academic cap”
2. 200 Which colour of tassel is kept for those entitled to wear a doctoral gown? Response: gold The gold metallic tassel is reserved for those entitled to wear the doctoral gown, as is the use of velvet for headwear. Source: Wikipedia, “Square academic cap”
3. 300 The square academic cap most likely began in which country, no later than 1520? Response: Italy The mortarboard likely originated in Italy, no later than 1520. Source: Wikipedia, “Square academic cap”
4. 400 The square academic cap may have grown out of which similar hat worn by Roman Catholic clergy? Response: the biretta The mortarboard may have developed from the biretta, a similar-looking hat worn by Roman Catholic clergy. Source: Wikipedia, “Square academic cap”
5. 500 Before tassels appeared in the 18th century, what decorated the center of the square academic cap? Response: a tuft Tassels appeared in the 18th century; before then, the center of the mortarboard was decorated with a tuft. Source: Wikipedia, “Square academic cap”

The Graduation March

1. 100 Which English composer wrote the Pomp and Circumstance Marches? Response: Edward Elgar The Pomp and Circumstance Marches are a series of five marches for orchestra composed by Edward Elgar between 1901 and 1930, together with a sixth march created in 2006 by Anthony Payne from Elgar's sketches. Source: Wikipedia, “Pomp and Circumstance Marches”
2. 200 The trio of the first Pomp and Circumstance march holds which tune, also sung as a patriotic song in Britain? Response: Land of Hope and Glory The trio contains the tune known as "Land of Hope and Glory". Source: Wikipedia, “Pomp and Circumstance Marches”
3. 300 At which American university was the march first played at a graduation, in 1905? Response: Yale University It was first played at such a ceremony on 28 June 1905, at Yale University, where the Professor of Music, Samuel Sanford, had invited his friend Elgar to attend commencement and receive an honorary doctorate of music. Source: Wikipedia, “Pomp and Circumstance Marches”
4. 400 How many Pomp and Circumstance marches did their composer finish himself? Response: five The Pomp and Circumstance Marches are a series of five marches for orchestra composed by Edward Elgar between 1901 and 1930, together with a sixth march created in 2006 by Anthony Payne from Elgar's sketches. Source: Wikipedia, “Pomp and Circumstance Marches”
5. 500 Who completed a sixth Pomp and Circumstance march from the composer's sketches, published in 2006? Response: Anthony Payne The sixth march, completed and orchestrated by Anthony Payne was published by Boosey & Hawkes in 2006. Source: Wikipedia, “Pomp and Circumstance Marches”

Honors and Speeches

1. 100 What title goes to the top student of a graduating class in the United States and Canada? Response: valedictorian Valedictorian is an academic title for the highest-performing student of a graduating class of an academic institution in the United States and Canada. Source: Wikipedia, “Valedictorian”
2. 200 What is the highest of the three standard Latin honors? Response: summa cum laude The Latin honors system has three standard levels (listed in order of increasing merit): cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude. Source: Wikipedia, “Latin honors”
3. 300 Commencement marks the end of school, but what does the word commencement actually mean? Response: beginning Despite meaning "beginning", commencement may be mistaken to mean "ending" due to its association with the end of one's studies. Source: Wikipedia, “Commencement speech”
4. 400 The title for the top student comes from the Latin vale dicere. What does vale dicere mean? Response: to say farewell The term is an Anglicised derivation of the Latin vale dicere ("to say farewell"), historically rooted in the valedictorian's traditional role as the final speaker at the graduation ceremony commencement before the students receive their diplomas. Source: Wikipedia, “Valedictorian”
5. 500 Which college became the first in the United States to award final honors to its graduates, in 1869? Response: Harvard College In 1869, Harvard College became the first college in the United States to award final honors to its graduates. Source: Wikipedia, “Latin honors”

Rings and Yearbooks

1. 100 Which ring do students wear to remember their final year and graduation? Response: a class ring In the United States, Canada and other countries, a class ring (also known as a graduation, graduate, senior, or grad ring) is a ring worn by students and alumni to commemorate their final academic year and/or graduation, generally for a high school, college, university and organization. Source: Wikipedia, “Class ring”
2. 200 Which book, also known as an annual, records a school's past year? Response: a yearbook A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a type of book published annually. Source: Wikipedia, “Yearbook”
3. 300 The tradition of grad rings began with the class of 1835 at which military academy? Response: West Point The tradition of class rings originated with the class of 1835 at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Source: Wikipedia, “Class ring”
4. 400 Printed photographs did not exist yet, so what pictures of students filled the first formal school annual, in 1806? Response: silhouettes Because printed photography had not yet existed, the 1806 Yale College yearbook included students' silhouettes. Source: Wikipedia, “Yearbook”
5. 500 According to Amy Vanderbilt's etiquette book, while a student is still in school, the insignia on a grad ring should face whom? Response: the wearer For as long as the wearer is in school, the insignia should face the wearer to remind them of the goal of graduation. Source: Wikipedia, “Class ring”

Final round: Graduation Around the World

In Sweden, students at which university were the first to take up the graduation hat? Response: Uppsala University The graduation hat tradition was initially adopted by students at Uppsala University. Source: Wikipedia, “Graduation”