You are standing in the middle of the piazza, dressed in an absurd superhero costume or stripped only to your underwear and diapers. You are reading a scroll that tells a parody of your life in a poetic form. The public is throwing eggs and flour at you. Congratulations, you have just graduated from the University of Padova in Italy!
The graduation ritual of the University of Padova is one of a kind. The moment after their thesis completions, the students are officially exposed to all types pranks from friends. They include hyper-sexualized scrolls, singing, public embarrassment, alcohol and, undoubtedly, a great deal of laughter. Aside from the fun part of this unique graduation ritual lies something fundamental-the ability to laugh at oneself. In the end of the day, a degree in agricultural biotechnology, comparative law or technical physics doesn't guarantee life will treat you seriously. Continue reading
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3 comments:
Agh, what did you do.... It's not one of a kind. It's not a Paduan tradition, but an Italian one. I hope you did not publish this yet, because I'm really upset you did not ask me to proof read it first.
And l'Universita' degli Studi di Padova is the second oldest uni in Italy.
I interviewed a Mt. Holyoke professor who graduated from the University of Cagliari (and who is Italian) and she said, "Padova is actually the only city with interesting rituals in Italy at the moment." That is why I concentrated on Padova only.
According to the Erasmus Exchange Programme with the University of Padova, "Founded in 1222, it is the third oldest university in Italy and with approximately 66,000 students also one of Italy's largest educational centres."
Well, the EEP seems to have erred and it needs to check its numbers again, 'cause the number is closer to 70,000 according to other sources.
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