Seniors celebrate graduation day

By Dawn Marks

Published: May 10, 2008

Graduation in metro-area schools can mean anything from disguises to streamers.

Students distinguish their graduations with special traditions either before or after the ceremonies. At Putnam City North High School, students will dress up in costumes Wednesday for senior incognito day, a senior tradition that dates back to the first senior class in 1980.

Caitlyn Kutch, 18, a senior at Putnam City North, said she remembered hearing as a child about the tradition from her mother, a teacher. Seniors dress up, parade around the school and do skits during the event. Students usually keep their ideas secret and the more clever costumes are, the better, Kutch said.

"Definitely traditions are a big part of what defines your school. It gets people involved,” Kutch said.

"It's a great way to celebrate with your class because we always do it the week before graduation.”

At Edmond Memorial High School, students pick someone special to put their mortar board on them in a robing ceremony a couple of weeks before graduation. Edmond Memorial Assistant Principal Sue Freiberger said the event started four or five years ago.

"It really has evolved into a neat tradition,” Freiberger said. "It's kind of a time to say thank you to somebody.”

Senior Alyssa Holton, 18, said she chose her father, Bill Holton, to meet her in the middle of the stage and put her mortar board on.

"He was the reason that I did so well in school,” Holton said. "I just knew that he would want to share the experience with me.”

In Moore, students show their school pride after they receive their diplomas. After they move the tassels on their mortar boards, they reach under their chairs for streamers to throw. Each side has a different color to throw above the graduates, creating a mass of streamers in the air.

Assistant Superintendent Brad Fernberg said it's great to see the expressions on students' faces as they throw the streamers.

Each school celebrates with its own colors. Moore High School students throw red and blue streamers and Westmoore High School students have red and black streamers.

"By the time they've sat there for an hour, they're ready to get up and have some fun,” Fernberg said.

At Norman High School, each student is paired with a teacher-adviser when they enroll as a freshman. The students may never have that teacher in a class, but they meet throughout the years to discuss current problems or future goals.

By the end of high school, the advisers know the students on a personal level, the good and the bad, said Roger Brown, director of secondary education.

On graduation night, advisers meet each of their students as they cross the stage to congratulate them on their accomplishment and wish them well for the future.

"It's a very special moment,” Brown said.

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