A surprise e-mail today:

ACADEMIC REGALIA (i.e. CAP & GOWN) for COMMENCEMENT

To receive your regalia in time for Commencement, place your order at the Harvard Coop's third floor Textbook Department during the reservation period: April 4th-April 20th 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m

Rental Fees
Cap, Gown and Hood...$75

We have to pay for this stuff? Don't we pay enough in tuition that this stuff should come with that? Shouldn't it be an all-inclusive package? I mean, is this stuff optional? Can we go to graduation without it? If not, how in the world can they really get off charging for it? It's a RENTAL. The school should buy a whole bunch of gowns and caps (and hoods? what's the hood for?) and just re-use them year after year. They just re-grassed an entire field where an ice rink used to be. Surely they can afford some cheap nylon capes, or whatever the gowns are made of.

I know, it's only $75, but that's a lot of money! And for what? For something I don't even get to keep (and wouldn't want to keep anyway). Do they charge for the diplomas too??