Graduation Costs
putting the "mental" in sentimental
posted about 13 years ago
Emblazoned on the mail envelope from the UMBC bookstore was
"Important Graduation Information".
Ignoring a brief "Attention, K-Mart shoppers! " apprehensiveness, I opened it, discovered order forms for graduation tchochkes. The 'K-Mart' feeling quickly transmuted to "bend over and hold your ankles."
Cap&Gown: $48 -- tolerable, until I remember it's a single-use garment unsuitable for recycling. Plan B: A Guy Fawkes "V for Vendetta" Hallowe'en costume is only $35. That, plus a $9 UMBC mitre tassle, is something I might wear a few more times.
$165 for a damn diploma frame? Fergit it.
Searching online for document frames, I find solid walnut at $75, only $50 for mahogany. More extravagantly, any number of local guitar luthiers would be happy to route framing from exotic scraps like ebony, purple heart, cocobolo, ... or bubinga.
Class rings? $430 to $1600 depending on the alloy's gold content, ranging none to 18k. "None" is a stainless steel jewelers alloy touted for hardness. That's only $430 for a lump of type 316-variant alloy, the second most common stainless in use, and it's being hawked like mithril , Frodo.
I'm on the fence about this one. A ring inscribed with "UMBC: You Must Be Crazy" just might be worth it.
I am unable to express the depth of my sentimental desires for these graduation trappings other than to remark that with no expenditure on my part, diplomas are mailed out six weeks after graduation.
Ignoring a brief "Attention, K-Mart shoppers! " apprehensiveness, I opened it, discovered order forms for graduation tchochkes. The 'K-Mart' feeling quickly transmuted to "bend over and hold your ankles."
Cap&Gown: $48 -- tolerable, until I remember it's a single-use garment unsuitable for recycling. Plan B: A Guy Fawkes "V for Vendetta" Hallowe'en costume is only $35. That, plus a $9 UMBC mitre tassle, is something I might wear a few more times.
$165 for a damn diploma frame? Fergit it.
Searching online for document frames, I find solid walnut at $75, only $50 for mahogany. More extravagantly, any number of local guitar luthiers would be happy to route framing from exotic scraps like ebony, purple heart, cocobolo, ... or bubinga.
Class rings? $430 to $1600 depending on the alloy's gold content, ranging none to 18k. "None" is a stainless steel jewelers alloy touted for hardness. That's only $430 for a lump of type 316-variant alloy, the second most common stainless in use, and it's being hawked like mithril , Frodo.
I'm on the fence about this one. A ring inscribed with "UMBC: You Must Be Crazy" just might be worth it.
I am unable to express the depth of my sentimental desires for these graduation trappings other than to remark that with no expenditure on my part, diplomas are mailed out six weeks after graduation.
(edited about 13 years ago)
