97th Annual Spring Commencement

ACADEMIC REGALIA The origins of academic regalia date back to the 12th and 13th centuries, when universities were beginning. The first gowns were patterned after the dress of the cleric and were believed to be a necessity for warmth in unheated buildings. Hoods were designed to serve as head coverings. Caps were not used at that time. The shape of the gown indicates the academic level: bachelor, master, or doctor. Black is the most common color in America, although now many colleges and universities are using one of their colors. The doctor’s robe usually has three velvet stripes on the sleeves, in black or in the color of the discipline of the degree. The colors of the hood indicate the academic discipline and the institution. The colors associated with the different disciplines are as follows: THE COLLEGE GONFALON The Bluefield College Gonfalon is a symbol of our collective responsibility to engage in a Christ-centered community of integrity and learning. Bluefield College’s colors, which compose the College Gonfalon, are blue, white, and red. The College Seal adorns the top of the Gonfalon, and at its base, is the symbol of inspiration for the College, which is the College Spire. In this official version, the Spire is left half open to convey the responsibility that each individual has, be they student, faculty, staff, or administra- tion, to do their part to complete the work of learning to which we have been entrusted.

Accountancy........................................Drab Anthropology....................................... Gold Arts....................................................White Behavioral Science........................... Oyster Biochemistry. ...................................... Gold Business Administration.....................Drab Chiropractic......................................... Grey Commerce. ..........................................Drab Communication.............................Crimson Counseling & Guidance.............. Light Blue Divinity.............................................Scarlet Dramatic Arts................................... Brown Economics....................................... Copper Education................................... Light Blue Engineering.....................................Orange English...............................................White Fine Arts........................................... Brown History...............................................White Home Economics...........................Maroon Humanities........................................White Journalism. ...................................Crimson

Jurisprudence. ................................. Purple Law................................................... Purple Letters................................................White Library Science.................................Lemon Literature...........................................White Medicine............................... Hunter Green Music................................................... Pink Nursing............................................Apricot Oratory (Speech)................................Silver Philosophy..................................Ph.D. Blue Physical Education................... Sage Green Physical Therapy..................................Teal Psychology........................................... Gold Public Administration........... Peacock Blue Public Health...................................Salmon Physics......................................Bright Gold Science......................................Bright Gold Social Work.......................................Citron Speech. ...............................................Silver Theology...........................................Scarlet Urban Planning.........................Blue-Violet