As I explored the college I would soon call home, I was caught off guard by their traditions. Not only could I not walk on the seal in All Saints’ Chapel, but there were also mysterious people in black gowns wondering around campus, none of which were enrolled in Hogwarts. I soon came to know the tradition that so many know and love.
With the excitement of Parent’s Weekend, October 16, 2015 marked the 158th Founders Day Ceremony for The University of the South. This day is one that will resonate in the memories of approximately two hundred people for many years to come. The Order of the Gownsmen at Sewanee is not only a wonderful time to celebrate achievements in the classroom, but also a way of celebrating our predecessors and their hard work.
In the early years of the University, the gown was awarded to students within the University who were capable of self-governance. The students were chosen based on age and academic performance; thus, one had the capacity to govern the student body. Through the years, the qualifications to be in the Order has change, but Friday, the Order of the Gownsmen grew substantially with the induction of Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors into the society.
As many new members enter this honorable group, we are faced with yet another problem, one Order of the Gownsmen President Alec Hill highlighted: the wearing of the gown. Like many, I was gowned Friday and am filled with undeniable emotions, all of which are rooted in my acquiring of a black piece of fabric with thread white thread on it pieced together to make initials, each with a different story.
All of the stories and love attached to these pieces of fabric, yet we don’t wear them to class? All of the hard work put into it? The long hours in the lab, the grueling amounts of homework, yet many still don’t wear the gown? As a new member of the Gownsmen, I of course, do not have all of the answers. I do know, though, that my gown, one that my father wore, has a special place in my heart already.
As we proceed into the upcoming year, I challenge each of us to make a concerted effort to bring back the tradition, the tradition of excellence. To not be worried of coming off as pompous or arrogant when wearing the Gown, but instead to wear it and speak of the many traditions that make Sewanee the place we know and love today.
