Seen here with C-3PO and Dane Cook, college grad Manja Pieters (BTDT -- had to get a salve from the witchdoctor) wore a full Stormtrooper costume to her graduation ceremony. Why? Hell I don't know, why did I wear a tophat and monocle to mine? Oh right, because I'm classy was dating Mr. Peanut and we always dressed alike.

Manja Pieters, 36, is one of 1360 Canterbury University students to graduate this week, and he paraded through central Christchurch in the costume yesterday before receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, majoring in film.

"I have graduated a few times before and I thought, `This is my final time - I'm going to go out with a bang'," she said. Pieters said she grew up with movies such as Star Wars and directors like George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, who inspired her to study film. Pieters, who had to remove her helmet to be capped, said some people appeared intimidated by the outfit, but "I'm short so I'm not that imposing".

"I'm short so I'm not that imposing" my ass! You ever seen those Lollypop Guilders from The Wizard of Oz? Now imagine a bunch of them together wearing Stormtrooper armor. Frightening enough to even scare the hair off Chewbacca's balls.

Stormtrooper graduate 'goes out with bang' [stuff]

Thanks to Simon and jimmy, who wore wings to graduation and are now both fully-licensed toothfairies.