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Photo gallery Mortarboards become billboards

May 15, 2023 ​

It’s become an art form. At the University of Wisconsin–Madison commencement ceremonies last weekend, graduates wore caps decorated with flowers, beads and messages ranging from the classic — “On, Wisconsin” — to the epic  — “Long story short: I survived.” A grand total of 8,625 students receiving their degrees Friday evening at the Kohl Center and Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.

A morterboard cap reads

Some graduates opted for the classics. Photo by: Jeff Miller

A mortarboard cap reads

Camp Randall Stadium was filled with thousands of survivors, also known as graduates. Photo by: Jeff Miller

A mortarboard cap reads

Yes, it was. Photo by: Bryce Richter

A mortarboard cap reads

Follow every rainbow, 'til you find your dream. Photo by: Taylor Wolfram

Cap reads

Graduate Ashanti Helena Rogers's cap pays tribute to all those who helped her along the way. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Two women wear mortarboard caps decorated with flowers, one reads

Flowers always add a touch of spring to a cap. Photo by: Jeff Miller

Graduate Abbe Sparling of Pine City, Minnesota, affixed 13 animals to her cap, including a giraffe, a zebra and two hippos. Yep, she’s a zoology and conservation biology major.

Graduate Abbe Sparling of Pine City, Minnesota, affixed 13 animals to her cap, including a giraffe, a zebra and two hippos. Yep, she’s a zoology and conservation biology major. Photo by Doug Erickson

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