Mortarboards have become the equivalent of a Hallmark card: a way to convey a heartfelt message, deliver a pointed punch line, offer a word or two of inspiration—or get a belly laugh.

In what has become an annual tradition, BU Photography sent staffers and freelancers across Nickerson Field during the 144th all-University Commencement to snap some of the year’s most memorable caps. They ranged from a 3-D diorama featuring a dinosaur to mortarboards with political statements: “Divest” reads one, “The Future Is Female” reads another. Not surprisingly, many were an homage to the parents who made these BU grads’ college careers possible.

View more images of mortarboards decorated by BU students here.