GoKawiilMy graduation cap runs Rust
May 12, 2026
I’ve never graduated before. I mean, from college. So all the cap and gown stuff is new to me.
Fun fact #1: you rent your cap and gown in the US. You have to return them. And they’re expensive, too! I paid $94 just for the privilege of renting mine, which is insane because they probably cost way less than that to manufacture. What if, say, you say you’re fine without a cap and gown? Well, then you can’t walk in the ceremony. So you do need to shell out to rent them. And they don’t give you the option to buy the cap and gown outright.
OK, that’s not such a fun fact. How about:
Fun fact #2: when you graduate, they move your tassel from right to left to signify… something? Why not left to right? What about left-handed people?! Why are graduation ceremonies discriminating against left-handed people?!
Anyway. I was thinking about fun fact #2, and then I thought it might be cool if my cap lit on fire as whoever it is moves my tassel. But the rental agreements clause 98.c.2 probably forbids it, and I don’t think Purdue would like it very much if I set the stage on fire.
Hmm. What if I made a contraption that detects when the tassel is moved away and light up the bottom-side of the cap?
And with that, I got to building this crazy idea. And the end result is beautiful if I do say so myself:
FAQ
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