Whether you’ve already heard or not, it is official that graduating seniors are not allowed to decorate their graduation caps, nor are they allowed to adorn themselves with any items other than the official tassels and cords given at the Senior Awards Night.

Administration has stated that the reason for this is that graduation is a formal ceremony that is supposed to be uniform, and that wearing any other accessories other than the official cords and tassels would cheapen the value of the accomplishments of those that earned them.

This is a stupid rule, quite frankly. This is our high school graduation, not our parents’, nor administration’s. It is a celebration of our accomplishments, our completion of high school, and our thrust into the real world.

The decoration of a cap is an expression of the person wearing it. It’s sentimental and personal and as long as it isn’t obscene, I don’t see anything wrong with that. Other high schools are allowed to do it, so then why aren’t we?

As a recipient of a silver tassel and the biliteracy award cord, I would not feel that my accomplishments were cheapened just because someone wore a floral lei, or a memento from a club they participated in or what have you. Honestly, if someone wearing such an item makes you feel like your accomplishments were lessened, you might want to take a moment to assess your superiority complex.

People have different reasons for wanting to wear certain decorations for graduation whether it’s because they were a dedicated member of a club on campus or simply something fun. Of course those who accomplished certain achievements should be recognized and celebrated, but there are other accomplishments aside from being fluent in English and another language, maintaining a certain GPA, or being a dedicated Thespian, Delphian, Tri-M member, BSU member, or an athlete. What about the dedicated members of other academic clubs or programs such as M.E.Ch.A., and participants in academic competitions like Academic Decathlon and Science Bowl?

Graduation is a special time in seniors’ lives. We’ve worked long and hard for four years to reach this moment. If we want to commemorate the occasion by wearing something as trivial as a floral lei or decorating our caps, we should be allowed to do so.