When friends of 2003 College alumnus Arshad Hasan notified him that he was pictured on the cover of this year's commencement brochure, he was initially flattered.
But upon closer examination, Hasan and his friends realized that one detail from his costume was missing -- the rainbow tassel that had hung beside the standard black tassel from his cap.
Hasan distinctly remembered having the rainbow tassel -- distributed by the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center to be worn during graduation ceremonies -- as part of his academic regalia. He also knew that it was distinct enough that it could not simply be covered up due to the angle of the photograph.
But while University officials in charge of commencement materials have admitted since then that the photograph was edited, they have also said that slight alteration to published images is standard procedure.
"The only reason the tassel was changed to black was to have it reflect the official regulation tassel of the University," University Secretary Leslie Kruhly wrote in an e-mail interview. "There was no political motivation for changing it."
However, to many of those who are closely involved with the situation, such as 2004 College graduate Joshua Brown -- former president of the Penn chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union -- this explanation seems inconsistent.
According to Brown, Hasan's costume included three divergences from the standard graduation apparel, but only one was erased -- the LGBT tassel.
"They kept my Sphinx stole and my green 'socially responsible employment' ribbon from Civic House, but they deleted my Pride ribbon from the LGBT Center," Hasan wrote in an e-mail interview.
"They turned what would have been something very flattering into something insulting and hurtful," he added.
The official academic regalia, according to Kruhly, includes only a black gown, a cap with a black tassel, and a hood.
"My office certainly meant no harm or disrespect by altering the photo," Kruhly wrote. "I am sorry if this has caused Mr. Hasan to be upset. We will be more sensitive to this type of thing in future years."
Still, the fact that the other two divergences can be easily seen has prompted Hasan and Brown to suspect possible political motivations for the alteration of the image.
Brown said that he did not find the justification offered by the University sincere or credible.
"I don't see any reason that they had to edit out that tassel unless it was for political reasons. They could have just used another picture," Brown said.
"My speculation is that they didn't use another picture because they wanted a minority from the campus community, but they didn't want that minority to be associated with the LGBT Center," he added.
Both Hasan and Brown said they are hoping for a public apology from the University, but at press time, the only apology they had received was a voice message Hasan called "vague" and "hardly adequate."
Both Hasan and Brown have stated that a written, public apology would satisfy them.
"For a document that has been edited, printed and distributed to thousands -- probably ten thousands of people -- for it to be an adequate apology, it needs to be a very public apology on the same scale," Hasan said.
The photo first appeared on the cover of the commencement brochure that was printed in the fall of 2003. It appeared a second time on one of the back pages of a commencement booklet printed in March 2004, where a single green strand from the original rainbow tassel is visible.
Soon after the photo's second appearance, Brown contacted LGBT Director Bob Schoenberg.
Schoenberg came to act as a conduit between the students who were alarmed and the officials at the University who are responsible for commencement procedures.
"I think the whole incident is regrettable," Schoenberg said. "I don't believe that anyone in the Office of the Secretary understood the political significance of the rainbow tassel and if they had, they would not have altered the photo or would have chosen a different photo to use."
Still, Hasan and Brown are suspicious of the University's intentions.
"Not only did they make a conscious decision to edit out my tassel, but when they realized [it might be a problem] they covered it up with a false reason," Hasan said. "It's extremely offensive to edit the picture and then cover up their pretenses."
