Ken’s TEK (Technology, Education, and Knowledge)

Plymouth State incorporated the use of Gonfalons in both the Graduate and Undergraduate ceremonies. If you are not familiar with gonfalons, according to our commencment program, they are “banners hung from crosspieces on poles that have descended from medieval Italy where they were used as symbols of state and office. They have been adopted by many universities and colleges to enhance the ceremonial nature of the commencement exercises. Plymouth State has created gonfalons with the university colors of dark green and white on the outer nylon panels of each banner. The inner velvet panel of each represetns one of the academic departments, using the colors for hte academic disciplines.” Here’s Plymouth’s Gonfalons and the 2005 Gonfaloniers queued and ready for the Processional:

Here’s the Gonfaloniers of 2006 awaiting the event to start:

They add significantly to the ceremony. Our gonfaloniers, the ones bearing the gonfalons, where choosen by the academic departments. Being a gonfalonier makes for some proud family members and friends. Here’s PSU first gonfalonier from the Class of 2005:

Prior to the gonfaloniers picking up the gonfalons, a good deal of preparation must occur in order to facilitate a smooth ceremony. As with many opportunities, the devil is in the details:

Once the gonfalons are processed on to the field, we use them as backdrop on the graduation platform.

Gonfalons, a tradition whose time has come, again.

Gonfalon, Banners, Graduation, University, College, Pomp, Circumstance

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