Now that the second semester of the school year has begun, many of the seniors have directed a portion of their thoughts away from college admissions and onto graduation day.  Schreiber students will be attending the ceremony in blue gowns with a white stole, accompanying it with an outfit and footwear of their choice.  In addition to caps and gowns, students have the  opportunity to purchase a class ring.  The jewelry is made in a special design that is specific to the colors of the school and is typically viewed as a nice way to commemorate graduation.  However, when this time of year comes around, the financial aspect of preparing for graduation is consistently brought up, and often presented as a serious issue.

Too often, schools will set exorbitant prices for standard graduation items, such as the cap and gown.  While class rings are certainly a luxury, they are still marketed in such a way that a student will feel that, if they don’t purchase it, they are not fully participating in the whole graduation experience.  For this school year, to purchase a class ring, students are being asked to pay upwards of $150.  The announcement was met with some shock, as caps and gowns were already a necessity that needed to be purchased.  While the rate for those items is fairly reasonable, the price for a class ring is too high, especially for an object that is very likely to be lost or forgotten over the years.  More so, the potential expenses for getting ready for graduating can be large.  Clothing and personal care, such as haircuts and manicures, are some of the things that seniors often spend money on as graduation day approaches.  

 While the addition of a class ring to other graduation items is a nice concept in theory, it is hurt by the fact that students are being asked to pay an unnecessary amount of money to receive it.   Graduation is an important and beautiful event, and no one should have to feel like their day is any less special just because they did not purchase a specific item.