North Platte High School will not be adding sashes to their graduation gowns this year. At NPHS, graduation attire can cost anywhere from $30-50. Recently, a survey was sent out to all seniors that asked their opinion about adding an additional $10-15 fee. This would have been to cover the price of a white graduation sash that adorned ‘NPHS’ down one side and seniors’ graduation year down the other. While some people really liked this idea, not enough seniors voted on the matter.

Despite the form being sent out to all students via email, and being in the morning announcements for over a week, only 107 out of 311 seniors voted on the matter. Principal James Ayres initially thought the graduation sashes were a good idea, but felt that students needed a say because of the additional fee. “There’s a lot of different financial restraints some students have over other students,” said Ayres. “Three hundred kids times $10 that’s already $3,000. That’s a lot of money, and I [didn’t] want to put that extra burden on families that can’t afford it.”

While Ayres wasn’t expecting the whole senior class to vote, he was hoping for more than 34 percent. “I was a little disappointed that people didn’t even take initiative to at least mark no,” Ayres said. “They just didn’t vote [at all].” he said. Ayres finds it similar to last year’s senior class song. Many 2017 graduates were upset about the chosen class song, and asked for a revote, “but less than 15-16% of the kids in that class voted [to begin with],” Ayres said.

When students have a choice in things that are happening around NPHS, Ayres thinks it is important that they take the time to vote. “Check your email and listen to the announcements. Take some initiative, especially as seniors,” said Ayres. “My suggestion is when class songs or class flowers, or class colors [are nominated], if you want to truly have a voice in what you’re doing as a graduating senior, you have to take part in the little things, [like] voting.”