Following completion of our first academic week of the term, we had out University of Oxford matriculation ceremony! For this event, everyone participating is required to wear clothing called sub-fusc (black skirt/ trousers, black socks/stockings, black shoes, white collared shirt, white bow tie/black straight tie/velvet ribbon) over which one wears the appropriate academic dress for one's level of study. For me and all the other undergraduates (a lot of people with degrees are considered Oxford undergrads!) thats a commoner's gown- a hip length black sleeveless gown... with weir shoulders and streamers that no one can sort out.
You muster as a class at your college and walk through historic downtown together into the main entrance of the lovely old Sheldonian Theatre. Walking into the rotunda was a great moment, and the ceremony (partially in Latin!) was very short and memorable- an Oxford rite of passage, only after which you are considered a member of Oxford University.
Afterwards, piled into the historic Queen's Lane coffee house for pastries and espresso... and ran all over downtown taking pictures:) I wish I had time to write more about the whole matriculation experience, but it was a special day and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Me and Loretta (Australia)
Loretta, Alli (UK), Cameron (USA) and me
With classmates at the Radcliffe Camera- a beautiful part of the Bodleian Library which I was studying in on Friday!
Most of my OCCA classmates- they are great:)
The guys, keeping it classy
