I am back in Delhi for the most awaited event in a college graduate’s life, the Convocation. To me, it appears to be a reward for all the hard work that we have put in through the time we spent in the college. Even though I was not getting my degree at this Convocation; I was getting the L Jogeshwar Nath Gold Medal (for being the Best Candidate in Technical Education). What made it even more interesting was the fact that this was the only way a BE student from NSIT who was not in ECE could be invited to the DU convocation. Great! 🙂

The day before the Convocation, all students were asked to report for a roll-call/rehearsal at the Old Vice Regal Lodge at the University Campus at 11 am. Now, I had arrived at Delhi at night at around 1 am and was really sleepy. But then, I somehow managed to get up and reach the University along with my mom. We were both clueless abut how the whole thing worked; my mom had also not gone to her convocation and had the degree delivered home. We reached the place before 11 am, which I had seriously doubted. But Delhi Metro is amazing and took us from Central Secretariat to DU in around 20 minutes flat; neat! Once there, we beckoned a sight with lots of people standing outside the hall gate and trying to make sense of the proceedings. Remembering the old adage “When in Rome, do as the Romans “, we decided to go with the crowd. I saw people rushing to the nearby Anthropology department and getting the Convocation gowns and so decided to follow them and get one for myself too. I was vaguely aware that the red gown was for the PhD guys and so got myself a black gown with a yellow hood. It was the stuff out of movies and I wondered if people would toss their hats after the ceremony was over.

There was also a shady looking character who came to us as soon as we got the rented gown and asked for 200 bucks for a convocation photo and 300 bucks for a VCD. I know that the inflation is at an all time high, but this was preposterous! Also one of my profs had said something about these characters and I decided not to deal with him. Lucky me! During the rehearsal I came to know that this guy was indeed someone shady. Dunno if people caught up with him in the end.

The rehearsal was merely for telling us who the Chief Guest was, at what time we were supposed to arrive and stuff. Also the downer for the day was that passes for the ceremony were in a short supply and limited to 1 per person (though we came to know later that people were taking around 4 passes each).

Now regarding the ceremonial gown that I had rented from the University, I didn’t have the faintest idea regarding how to wear the hood, which side would be in front; so I spent the night googling around for people wearing their convocation attire, hoping that I would get a clue somewhere. So after going through various sites with pictures of students (or models) in the attire, I finally got some idea about how to dress for the occasion. The scarf-like hood was to be put hanging behind and was to be pinned to the gown in the front. So finally I got that stuff right.

For the convocation, I am supposed to reach at 9.30 am in the morning, but will have to reach much earlier if my parents are going to get any seats. Will post the day’s events in the next post. Till later.