Principal: No worries, those traditions are going to remain
OCEAN CITY – Don’t change tradition, a student and parent implored the Ocean City Board of Education Wednesday evening, Feb. 23.
They asked the board to continue the practice of having the graduation gowns in both red and white – and not to have all 2022 graduates wear red – and to allow senior quotes to remain in the yearbook.
Jennifer Bowman, a 1987 graduate of Ocean City High School, made her point during public comment while wearing a white graduation gown. While thanking the board members for their work, she pointed out her husband, Charlie, is an OCHS graduate, as are two of their daughters with a third to graduate in 2024.
She said on behalf of the OCHS Alumni Association, they are not in favor of a plan to change from having girls in white and boys in red to having all the students wear red graduation gowns.
Bowman said the yearbook committee also is planning to do away with the quotes that accompany the senior pictures in the yearbook.
She said when a member of her graduating class died recently, she didn’t remember his face, but went back to his quotes and what he wrote to remember him.
Bowman said these things are changing local history and that she is glad there are more alumni of OCHS on the school board.
She criticized a proposal to put advertisements in the yearbook.
“Our yearbook is not a football program or athletic program. Our businesses in this community are taxed constantly for money,” she said. She added there are ads in a graduation edition done by the Ocean City Sentinel each year that includes all the senior pictures and lists all of the scholarship awards they receive. “The Sentinel does a beautiful job highlighting our seniors and the over $300,000 the community gives to our students (via scholarships). There are ads in this,” she said, pointing to the special edition. “We don’t need them in our yearbook.”
“I appreciate all you do,” she told the school board members, “but don’t change tradition.”
Senior Natalie Argento stood up to speak about the senior quotes in the yearbook and the caps and gowns for graduation.
“It has been tradition to have the boys in red and the girls in white, however this year the graduation committee took it upon themselves to change that,” Argento said. “I believe this decision was made with good intent but the decision was made by taking the easy way out. Students who identify as male, female, non-binary or whatever they prefer should be allowed to continue this tradition by allowing the seniors to take a survey of what color they prefer to wear at graduation.”
She pointed out the students already have had their senior portraits taken in their desired colors.
She also heard the yearbook committee “made the decision to retire, at least for this year, a continuation of our senior quotes in the yearbook.” Argento said the reason was because a lack of students and staff taking part in yearbook to review the quotes. She offered a solution.
“Every senior is required to take an English 12 class. Instead of taking the easy way out, there should be thought of another way to keep our senior quotes in the yearbook,” Argento said. “Have the English teachers and some students review the quotes and pass them by the yearbook committee.”
“For the past three years the class of 2022 has been affected so much by COVID and most of our high school experience has been taken away,” Argento said. “These two pieces of our senior year may seem small to some, but some of these things are things we look forward to.”
Principal: No worries
Interim High School Principal Mark Napoleon, asked about the traditions Monday, said both topics had been raised during discussions with parents, but the decision has been made to keep the red and white gowns for graduation.
There was some concern about space limitations in the yearbook, he said, but that the senior quotes also would remain.
Napoleon Leavinig
Interim Superintendent of Schools Thomas Baruffi announced at the meeting that Napoleon would be leaving the district at the end of April and thanked him for his service to the school.
Napoleon said he is going to be taking a position with a university out of state assisting students who are interested in becoming educators.
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff