Caps off to Tartan
February 27, 2020
The time for 2019-2020 Tartan graduates to take the stage and receive their diploma is coming. June 4th, 2020 Tartan seniors will be graduating. One of the most memorable moments of the ceremony is the cap. The cap that gets tossed sixty feet in the air, symbolizing freedom and accomplishment. But are the caps all decorated and unique to each individual? Not at Tartan.
Tartan High School: home of the Titans. Home to not allowing their senior students to express themselves and their culture on their graduation cap.
The school system is supposed to teach their students to own who they are and where they come from- embrace their background and express themselves. Then they turn around and deny something as simple as decorating one’s cap.
Tartan senior Emma Bigwood stated, “ I would love the opportunity to decorate my cap. It was one of the things I looked forward too when I was younger.” Graduating is an amazing accomplishment and students get excited to reap in the rewards and benefits of finally being on that stage. Cap decorating should be one of them.
Taking away this opportunity from students may affect them more than one would think. Students want the chance to show off who they are: their culture. They want to show where they are headed next to show their accomplishment. The schools want us to be more diverse and educated but deny when we ask to do just that.They are also denying more than they think. Tartan sophomore, Nolia Bigwood stated, “ It upsets me to hear that Tartan doesn’t allow it. I was hoping to be able to dedicate it to my deceased grandpa.”
Something as small as decorating one’s cap may seem unnecessary. To students, it means a lot and we deserve to express who we are and what we stand for. We earned it.
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I agree with this article and the students they talked to. I think tartan should allow graduating students to decorate their cap. Not only is it a chance for them to show their culture and creativity, it is their last chance to express and reflect on their high school experience.
I really feel like there is a lack of freedom in this. Not being able to decorate your cap and having to look like everyone else, in my opinion, detracts from our representation of individuality and diversity. This could be a great opportunity to create a beautiful moment of self expression similar to, “Uncovering Our History”. That event brought a light on self love and embracing oneself. Honestly, I feel a restriction like this is completely contradictory.
I remember last winter seeing kids walking around with petitions to do this. It’s cool how people can really influence what goes on in the school sometimes.
I totally agree, self-expression is very important and needs to be shown. As a senior, it would be so cool if we could decorate our caps.
I completely agree students should be able to decorate their caps in honor of their accomplishments, their culture, people, or their plans for the future. Hopefully tartan will allow this change soon so students can show their true selfs one last time in high school.