>Part of yesterday's ceremony, between the speakers and all the
>bachelor's candidates parading up to shake the University President's
>hand and not get diplomas, involved the hooding of the successful
>doctoral candidates. For whatever reason (maybe because there were
>enough of them that it would have made the main Commencement take too
>long), the master's candidates had their own separate hooding ceremony
>on Friday.
>
>--G.

Given what you've written in UF, I can't help but think of a ceremony for new Big Fire recruits, after they finish their training.