New College sent out an e-mail early in the week telling us that the Matriculation Ceremony would begin at 2:45pm on Saturday, and that all freshers are to assemble at the foot of the Hall stairs promptly at 1:45pm where we would then receive instruction from the Dean of Arts. It also mentioned this little tidbit:
Gillman & Soame will be in College from 1pm on Saturday. The Freshers Group photograph is booked to be taken at 1pm, whilst Fresher Portrait photographs can be taken between 1.15pm and 2pm.In typical Oxford fashion, the e-mail neglected to mention where exactly this would take place, but I heard a rumor that last year's picture was taken by the garden gate, so I figured I wander in that direction when the time came.
Matriculation is one of the events that requires the donning of sub-fusc, a very specific code of dress worn at certain Oxford ceremonies (also including examinations and graduation). Along with the traditional cap and gown, girls must wear a white blouse, a dark skirt or full-length trousers, black tights, black shoes, a black ribbon (worn around the neck like a tie), and a dark jacket if desired. For boys, a white bow tie replaces the black ribbon, and I assume that a skirt would be frowned upon.
After brunch this afternoon, I changed into my sub-fusc and headed over to the garden gate. The photography company had erected a set of metal bleachers on the lawn and a flock of wide-eyed freshers was already congregating, so I knew I was in the right place. Around 1 o'clock, the photographer asked us to line up by height, which inevitably divided the group by gender, and after about five minutes of rejiggering ourselves we started to file onto the bleachers. I ended up in the second row from the top. Finally, someone might be able to find me in a group photo! Boom, boom, boom, boom. He took four shots rather quickly, and then freed us to the portrait photographer camped out across the lawn. Being at the top of the bleachers suddenly became a disadvantage as a throng of freshers mobbed the photographer. It was already 1:25 at this point, so I decided to bag the portrait and head over to the Hall steps. Sorry, Mom and Dad.
PROMPTLY at 1:45pm, the freshers gathered at the base of the Hall steps where the Dean of Arts stood with an official-looking clipboard. He asked for silence, and proceeded to read each and every name of the New College freshers to be matriculated today. Once you heard your name, you were expected to answer with a resounding "YES!" or "PRESENT!" or "HERE!" or something similar. There was the inevitable mispronounced name and moment of cultural ignorance (including "Yi-Yun Jiang. Is Mr. Jiang here? Well, I guess it could be Miss Jiang... Either one?"), and a few people--GASP--weren't present. Those people will be punished by forking over twenty pounds to the university, a small price to pay for disrespecting tradition.
After this process was finished, the Dean of Arts told us that in about ten minutes he would lead us in a line (or in a flock, if we preferred) to the Examination Schools on High Street where the ceremony would take place. We then stood around in the drizzle doing nothing for ten minutes before being led to our destiny.
Once at the Examination Schools, we scaled a couple flights of stairs and entered a large room filled with paintings of important-looking people. We were then directed to form rows, which we did obediently. I stood in my row for a few minutes as more people filed in. A woman at the head of the room yelled for us to turn off our phones and put all of our cameras away (many others had actually remembered to bring their cameras, and had been documenting this experience). Suddenly, the rows dispersed and we were moved like cattle into an adjacent room, also filled with paintings, where we were told to stand in rows... again. More and more people filed in, and I was soon surrounded by sub-fusced freshers and was thereafter unable to see anything. The time was 2:35pm, and we then waited, standing in rows, for ten minutes before the ceremony began.
When the time had arrived, the crowd was shushed. I'm sure something happened after the shushing, but I could not see anything. I could only hear the symphony of coughing that ensued. Soon, I saw hands raising their caps to one another, and the formalities began. The Dean of Arts stood, and said something in Latin to the effect of, "I present these students for matriculation." The Vice Chancellor then stood and replied, in Latin, "I now pronounce these students official members of the University of Oxford." Huzzah!
At that point, the Vice Chancellor took some time to tell us newly-matriculated members of the university the history of matriculation. Apparently, back in the day, matriculation used to involve a university-wide exam to ensure that the colleges had admitted only the best scholars. After informing us of this, he spent the next few minutes trying to convince us that the matriculation ceremony was still important. "It's what anthropologists and sociologists would call a 'rite of passage,'" he said. "It has been done by many Oxford students who have come before you, many who will come after you, and many who have coughed as much as you." He then offered us a few words of wisdom, cracked a few more jokes (much appreciated), and sent us on our way. The time was 2:53pm, eight minutes after the ceremony officially began.
I guess after the pomp and circumstance of Harvard's graduation, I was expecting a little more. At the same time, I was grateful not to be spending all day listening to speeches in Latin or taking an exam to prove my scholarly mettle. Sure, the process was at times a little tedious, but in the end it's always an honor to be a part of those antiquated traditions that unite you with a small community of people.
Have a great weekend!
Alyce
Love the post, Lycey. You're now officially a part of Oxford University. That's forever!
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