A student’s graduation day signifies their academic accomplishments since childhood. Walking up on the stage, shaking hands with the people who helped them along the way, and receiving their diploma: it’s the end of 12 years of schooling. The students at Ludlow High have been imagining this moment for all four years they have been at the school. Last year, students fought for the opportunity to express their individuality at graduation and allow students to decorate their graduation caps in future years. And they won.

Last year, Shelbey Auclair wrote an article expressing students’ interest in decorating their graduation caps, explaining how it was unfair to prevent them from showing their personalities. This article helped make the decision allowing seniors to decorate their caps.

Mrs. Nemeth stated that “[she wants] students to feel excited being at LHS, to want to be here,” and that “Seniors should have special traditions and this is one [she has] wanted to add for years.” She said that she wants to keep the seniors motivated to continue towards graduation. “[She] mentioned it the first day of school at senior assembly and let them know this is a new tradition and [she’d] like to hang them up to keep the seniors motivated and know the end goal for their senior year is to graduate; hence seeing their graduation cap everyday.”

Ludlow High School seniors are now allowed to decorate their caps for graduation this year. Many students are happy for this change and have taken advantage of the ability to do so. 

Senior Madelyn Ogorzalek “embroidered [her] cap with a moon, vines and clouds.  For [her], the vines symbolize where [she is] now, while the clouds and moon represent where she wants to be.” She states that “as a student involved in arts, it’s nice to feel represented by the school and see people showing off their work.” and that “It’s just really nice to be able to see something positive and see students excited about graduating.”

Senior Rory DiVenuto also took advantage of this new ability. She decorated her cap with “the line ‘time makes you bolder’ from Fleetwood Mac’s song Landslide; the quote is written using impressionist-style dots that also come in from the corners.” She also stated that “[Her] cap means a lot to [her], the song [she picked] is one of [her] favorites, it represents how change is not always a bad thing.” She is “really glad [they] gained this ability, [she feels] like it allows students to express themselves in a creative way.”

All students at Ludlow High School are excited about the change, not just the seniors.

 Junior John McClintock is “excited to be able to express [himself] more freely and creatively” and “plans for design [their] cap with pride flags or other LGBTQIA+ designs” 

I also asked some teachers and administrators what they would have done if they had been able to decorate their graduation caps. 

Mrs. Nemeth’s cap would have said “The world is now my playground” with a sunset and mountains in the background. 

Mr. Mitchell stated that “The high school [he] attended had a tradition where friends signed other friends’ graduation caps, so when [he] walked across the stage way back when, my cap just had a bunch of signatures on it,” and that “The [caps] hanging by the ramp are MUCH cooler than [his] grad cap!”

Students are allowed to wear their caps on Class Night, during Senior Farewell, and at graduation.