Decorated graduation caps reflect joy, angst of students

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The black letters contrast sharply with the graduation cap's red fabric. They spell: "Vuela tan alto como puedas sin olvidar de donde vienes." "Fly as high as you can without forgetting where you come from." That's the message that Brenda Romero, who crossed the border from Mexico with her mother when she was 2, wants to spread as she graduates Saturday from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her decorated mortarboard is part of an emerging trend in which students are pushing against the formality of graduation ceremonies and choosing to stand out in a sea of monochromatic caps and gowns by expressing joy, angst or, increasingly, political opinions.