As the school year ends and graduation season approaches, there have been more and more videos circulating on social media of students who attend other schools showing decorated graduation caps and parking spots specially reserved for seniors. Being a graduate, a personalized parking spot, or a specially painted graduation cap is not an option at West Albany, and never has been since the school first opened in 1953.

     ¨I know one concern, any time we assign parking to a particular class, or a particular person, when somebody else parks in that spot, people do some inappropriate things to that car. That can cause problems,” assistant principal Jessica Smith said. “[The caps are] more about the uniformity of the graduating class. It’s your last time that you are one, and that visual representation is really important.” Some students are under the impression that the restriction could have been put in place because of cost issues, potential vandalism to other students’ property, or to make the students unified, but believe the school would be able to pull off having decorated parking spots and caps with some restrictions put in place. 

     “I think it would be a really cool idea, and it would help morale,” senior Merannen Gatien said. “You can show who you are and what your personality is. I think it’s a fun thing that people can look forward to their senior year, and they can think about what they want to put down.” Gatien would participate by decorating a cap or parking spot, painting a cartoon character, or a cross. 

     “[Something that pertains] to my personality, or what my interests are,” Gatien said, “you know, what I believe in.”

     Other students agree with the restriction on decorating graduation caps or parking spots.

     ¨It’s just already implemented into the school system that has been around for decades,” senior Dakota Olivos said, “and I think the school system is comfortable with it, and I don’t think it’ll be changing anytime soon.¨