Mortarboard messages

It’s a modern twist on an old tradition: Graduates paint messages and decorations onto their traditional mortarboard caps for the commencement ceremony. Several soon-to-be graduates poured their creativity on their caps during a May 9 “Cappy Hour” at the Memorial Union. Be sure to check out one clever cap whose message consists of a mathematical formula – can you decode the message? (Read the answer.)

Photo: A man glues white letters onto his black mortarboard cap.

Siman Gosal (right) and Simran Kaur (left), both biotechnology majors, decorates their caps. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Megan Roskom (left), Michelle Locke (center), and Hannah Wulf (right) add motion Ws to their caps. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: A hand paints a complex equation in white on a black cap.

L Lindblom opts for a complex equation - can you figure out the message? Click the link in the intro for the answer. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: A woman paints a message on her cap.

Olivia Baum, majoring in marketing and operations technology management, celebrates her graduation from the School of Business on her cap. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: A woman decorates her cap with a facsimile of the U.S. Constitution.

Victoria Casola decorates her Constitutional-themed graduation cap. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: A woman stencils letters ons her cap.

Allison Sukus stencils white letters onto the red state of WIsconsin on her cap. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: A hand holding a paintbrush paints a red state of Wisconsin on a cap.

Samantha Crowley, a neurobiology major, goes heavy on the red. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: A woman decorates her mortarboard cap.

Allison Sukus opts for a red state of Wisconsin on her cap. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: Two women put white letterrs on their black mortarboard caps.

Graduating students Anna Falk (left) and Karina Cazares (right) put lettering on their graduation caps. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo: A woman holds up a decorated cap.

Madeline Lindhart celebrates her graduation from the School of Nursing with this cap. Photo by: Bryce Richter

See more photo stories

Photo gallery Mortarboard messages