Pins are worn by graduates to show school pride or that they belong to organizations. At Mills, a popular pin is the Eucalyptus pin. Here are some fun facts about the Eucalyptus pin:
• The eucalyptus pin was created by the Class of 1948 to commemorate their 50th Reunion. The pin is sold directly through the Alumnae Association of Mills College.
• Each eucalyptus leaf is hand-picked on Mills’ campus and strengthened with copper. The leaf can either be preserved in 18-karat gold or sterling silver. A common eucalyptus leaf shape is long and narrow.
Sashes and stoles are used to reward academic achievements like participation in organizations or programs, and are normally ordered by the club or department or honor society. Sashes can also be given to someone who has helped you along the way. Some sashes and stoles you might see at Commencement include:
• Hellman Summer Science and Math Fellows: red sashes provided by the program.
• Phi Alpha Theta for history honors students
• Student Athlete sashes: gold sashes with blue trim, as well as the words “Student Athlete.” An athlete who has been on the team for four years will also have “Four Years” embroidered on the sash.
• ASMC sashes: These are given to all graduating members who have held a position for at least one semester. These are provided by ASMC. They are blue with gold lining and have the student’s title and year of title in ASMC embroidered onto it.
• Stole of gratitude: Purchased by a student and given to a close friend, family or faculty member during or following the ceremony to recognize the support they have provided through their college life. The Stole of Gratitude has the word “Mills” in white and is white and gold.
Cords can be used to recognize academic achievements such as graduating with honors. The color of the cord can be used to distinguish a student’s major or minor. Some cords include:
• The Veterans Cord: red, white and blue
• Latin Honors such as sum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude
For more graduation-related posts, check out The Campanil‘s designated 2014 Commencement webpage here or click on the “Commencement” link in the upper right hand corner of the header.
