Reconciling the Ramifications of DGS' Indoor Graduation Ceremony

Milap Mehta is a senior at Downers Grove South. He will be graduating on Friday in South's indoor graduation ceremony. 

There was Speak, The Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby, and many more since.

Regardless of the piece of literature, English teachers have hounded students to find the symbolism of every significant event.

High school English is coming to an end for Downers Grove South seniors, but there’s still one last bit of analyzing to do before that big event—graduation.

The 2011 Downers Grove South graduation ceremony joins its 2010 predecessor as being an anomaly because it will be held in South’s large gym rather than the football field (the traditional location for the ceremony).

While the venue for graduation ceremony will be the same as the previous year, the rationale behind the selection is different. The 2010 graduation was held indoors due to potential weather hazards, while the 2011 Graduation will be held indoors due to the turf renovation on the football field.

South High students have been very vocal about the turf field. There have been several positive reactions from some, such as senior Matthew Cohen, 18.

“I think the football field is really cool," Cohen said. "Very few schools have them, and I’m glad that the school is doing something awesome for once.”

However, many students feel the football field adversely affects their graduation and aren't happy because they don’t get to experience it.

“I’m kind of mad that graduation isn't outside," said senior Nick Grunert, 18. "I’m not upset about getting the field but if it’s for next year I don’t see why it should ruin our graduation.”

Those are the circumstances. Now let's talk symbolism. 

Everyone has already heard that life isn’t fair, and while having graduation inside a stuffy gym while it’s 100 degrees outside might cause a few heat strokes, it’s not going to kill anyone. Throughout high school, students have always been taught to compromise, but never give up.

Having graduation in a less-than-ideal location in conjunction with budget cuts and no football field has the making of a lose-lose situation. In times like these, it’s important for students to understand that while circumstances may seem unfair, they don’t diminish the impact of what they have done. 

The high school career is coming full circle, and graduation is about what the students have made of their experience, not what experience has made them.

Another ramification of the indoor ceremony: each student only gets three tickets. Two tickets are for the large gym where parents can watch the ceremony live. One is for the auditorium, where the ceremony will be telecast. No one else can see the ceremony. 

DGS seniors have been expressive about this aspect of graduation as well, though not all families are very affected by it.

“It’s a little weird that everyone has to be decided, but there won’t be too big of an argument in my house since my grandma already called the air conditioned auditorium," said senior Umayr Ahmad, 18.

Let's look at the symbolism of this inconvenience. 

Seniors don’t need graduation to comprehend the significance of decision-making. The division of graduation tickets might simply be a minor inconvenience, but it represents one of many instances where the impact of our decision solely affects others rather than ourselves.

Empathizing with others has been encouraged since the beginning of grade school, but never in this manner. During these instances it’s imperative for us to implement a utilitarian mindset (the most good for the most people). Sacrificing self-interest is easy, but sacrificing someone else’s well being is a very daunting task.

Now that it the symbolism-analyzing is said and done, DGS seniors are ready to embark on the next journey of their lives. Whether it is college, the workforce, the military, or another journey altogether, the Downers Grove South graduating class has one constant in the final leg of their high school career.

But they will finish this tenure how they started—together.