CHS embraces ‘be one’ motto with new grad traditions

A sea of green and white from last year’s commencement ceremony (Mike Barucci photo)

In a major departure from school tradition but a big step forward in the name of equity, Canton High School has become the latest academic institution to end the practice of assigning graduation gowns by gender.

CHS Principal Derek Folan had been mulling the change over the past several months and recently made it official, announcing the new look at a senior class assembly earlier this month.

Now instead of green caps and gowns for males and white caps and gowns for females, all CHS graduates will wear solid green with an accompanying stole worn over the shoulders, adorned with their year of graduation and the newly designed school logo.

“We took a lot of pride in how we got to this decision,” Folan said in a telephone interview last week. “We had many conversations with the students about how we wanted to look and how we wanted to be represented at graduation, and I was extremely proud of this class and think that they’ve taken a bold step in making this change.”

Folan said the idea to add a stole, which students will be able to keep along with their caps and tassels, was based on conversations with other principals who have made this change and was “something the students really connected with.” The only variation, he said, will be the color of the stoles — gold to distinguish National Honor Society members, class officers, class representatives, and the valedictorian and salutatorian, and white for all other graduates.

In searching for a way to personalize the experience for the students and in the spirit of embracing new traditions, Folan also announced that beginning this year, graduates would be allowed to decorate their caps — a popular commencement custom in many other school districts but one that had never before been permitted in Canton.

“That got a pretty loud cheer when we announced it at the senior assembly,” said Folan. “It’s nice to see the kids get excited about new traditions that are happening at the school.”

With regard to the move to single-color gowns, Folan acknowledged that not all students were initially pleased with the idea; however, he said the dialogue around the issue was open and respectful, and in many instances, students’ perspectives changed as they learned more about the rationale and became more involved in the process.

“Ultimately, I felt that I had to make a decision on this and try to do what’s in the best interests of our students,” said Folan, “but what was encouraging to me was that folks seemed to understand the reasoning behind it on a deeper level.”

Folan said it was very important to him that students felt invested in the decision and that it was not simply “forced on them” as it has been in some other school districts. He also made it clear that this was not done for appearances or to “make a statement.”

“We’re doing this,” he said, “because we want to be guided by our values and we’re always making strides to ‘be one,’ and to have a unifying element like this, I believe, is pretty powerful.”

Yet Folan said he also recognizes the symbolic significance of the move, and he fully understands what it means on a personal level to some of his students and their family members.

“I do believe that we’re a very inclusive school, and right now identity is an incredibly important part of our lives,” he said. “And every step we can take to unify a school and show consideration for all students, I think that’s being equitable and it’s being inclusive and I think that’s a great value to have as a school.”

Share This Post

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=33097