Going To The Sunflower Ceremony

Tomorrow El Jefe and I set out for Austin to attend The Sunflower Ceremony at UT Law School, which marks Portia's graduation from Law School.

Traditionally, the law school has held its graduation exercises separately from the rest of the mega-university. From the time the school was first established in 1883 until about the turn of the century, the law graduates did not wear caps and gowns. Then one year a committee of the faculty decided they should wear caps and gowns and issued an order for seniors to wear them to commencement.

But when the seniors got the order, they refused to wear caps and gowns because they hadn't been invited to the meeting where this decision was made. So then the faculty told them they had to choose a "distinctive insignia" to wear. The seniors decided to wear white suits with sunflowers in their lapels. They told the faculty that the sunflower was chosen because as the flower always keeps its face turned to the sun, so the lawyer should always turn toward the light of justice.

That was their story and they stuck to it!

Today the graduates still wear white and the Associate Dean pins a sunflower on each one as part of the ceremony. I remember getting my own sunflower, lo these many years ago, and I am so excited to watch my baby get hers. (And graduate with honors, too!)

El Jefe and I will spend a couple of days celebrating the completion of Portia's formal education and visiting with her, her fiance and Babs before coming home. I hear the hotel where we are staying makes killer red mojitos. I can't wait.