Are we kidding?
Okay, as many of you may or may not know, I am not one to get onto the controversial sides of things. But this is my major exception. Now, so I don’t get into as much trouble as other people who have spoken out about this, I’m not revealing the school, and I will not name any names. This is also to protect everyone involved, but mainly just because I bet I would get suspended for saying this. Now, my school has decided to try and change our graduation gowns to become “more unified”, now, we originally had no problem with this idea. Until we got the survey. The survey was sent to students and parents of my school. And we took this survey very seriously, as it affected every other person to come through my school. And our majority vote was to stay the same as they have been for the longest time. Our two schools colours. Girls wore one colour, the boys wore the other. But our school and our board of education worked together and have decided to set it to one colour. All of us seniors had an assembly about this decision, and they said they would answer questions, and that our voices could be heard about this. We get to the assembly, and they tell us how they want to make us more unified, and that it isn’t the fault of any students, that the school and the board of education decided to do this. So, one student asked about the results of our survey, and was told the majority said to stay with two colours, but that the survey had absolutely no effect on what we were to be wearing. Other students tried to figure out why now, why it hasn’t come up in past years, why now. A few people brought up that we had a transgender student a few years back pick the colour gown for their identified gender, and that no one had a problem with it, and that no one really minded, it was how he was comfortable (I say he because he chose the colour for the boys). So, as a form of protest, we had a petition, and we decided to wear the girl’s colour today, everyone. We even had kids in other grades joining us in our protest. Signed our petition, wore the girl’s colour. At our assembly, we also asked why we couldn’t just have the students pick the colour they wanted to wear that day, and keep our tradition of both of our school colours being included. We were told that the board of education and the principal and vice principal had been working on this, and that they made the decision to change it already. One brave student brought up the point that, if it was due to any students in our grade, that they would feel more attacked now than before all of this started, because now we’re all worked up and angry about this situation. They then proceeded to tell us that we are not allowed to talk about it on social media, as discussing this is a form of cyber bullying and hate speech. We all looked very confused, as no one had brought up any names in any of their social media posts, and that no one had even said it was anything other than the fact that they went against the survey results, and that it was not going towards the majority. I even had one kid get called down to the office before a class we had together, and then they walked into class half an hour late and yelled that he was so sorry he voiced his opinions about what was going on. The staff avoids the topic at all costs, as I am fairly certain that they were also told that they were not to speak of it. They told us they would take our questions, but by the end of the assembly, I saw at the very least ten people who still had their hands up. Those of us who were trying to be a part of the discussion during questions were being told to be quiet, and even the people asking the questions, could not add on. Also, I was praising one of the students with hand gestures, and the vice principal started to walk towards me, with a very angry look on her face. Honestly, I would have much rather gotten in trouble for praising the idea of having the students pick between one of the two colours, as in, one gender has one, the other has the other colour, but if one person from one gender wants to wear the other colour, then they should be able to, than have to sit through the rest of the assembly. Yes, get me in trouble like you’ve gotten others in trouble for having our opinions said, praised, and finally just stated in general. God forbid I agree with someone and am very enthusiastic about it. We will fight this choice until the very end, as there is no reason to change our tradition. We can find a better way to fix it, then to curve towards the minority group. The principal said it themselves, that our grade was the most accepting, and the most open to other types of people, that has come through our school. And as we agree with this statement, me and the other girls would like to wear the colour that girls have worn for years. None of us plan on backing down, until we get what we’re fighting for. This is to keep our tradition, and to just have those uncomfortable with one colour wear the other. If it takes more protests, and more petitions, then that is what we will do. If it takes going to the board of education, we will do it. We have the other grades backing us, and we will do whatever it takes to get the way of the majority, like we are supposed to have, and like we have done with other issues in the past. We have even gotten feedback from parents and alumni who think that we should not be changing the gowns like this, and that it is a bit too much of a drastic change, and also an unnecessary one. If people in the past could pick the colour they wanted to wear out of our two, then why can’t we? I just don’t understand why we are doing this, if all it is doing is causing more harm than good.