Elizabeth Lande, Reporter & Designer
This June, along with thousands of other senior students across the country, the VHS Class of 2018 will receive their diplomas and graduate into the world beyond standard education.
Over the years, most Vashon graduates have finished out their high school experience on the football field with friends and family looking on from the bleachers. This year, however, the ceremony will be held in the gym.
As the construction of the new turf field begins this May, the school will temporarily lose access to its traditional graduation venue, forcing the relocation. While this may not be considered ideal, the gym has long been a viable fallback option.
“We’ve always worked really really hard to keep it outside because of how much more accessible it is and it’s also a nicer setting, but it’s always possible that we’ll be in the gym,” Principal Danny Rock said.
In response to the possibility of an alternative venue, Rock cited a lack of facilities, with the gym being the easiest and most convenient location.
“There isn’t another space, that can provide clear sight lines to see graduates, [and] that can hold as many people as the high school gym can, anywhere else on the island,” he said.
Senior students have mixed feelings about graduating in the gym, with some appreciating cover from potential rain — a convenience last year’s graduates lacked — and others wishing for an outdoor location.
“I think it has the potential to be great,” senior Jasper Merrill said. “I think it would be prettier outside … [but] I think it could still be really great.”
While the gym might not follow recent tradition, it’s not a new one. In the early days of VHS — up until the 1980s — graduation was commonly held in the gym. As class sizes grew, however, the event made its way outdoors.
As the graduating class of 2018 is comprised of approximately 140 students, the ceremony may have the potential to overwhelm the gym’s footprint, especially when considering familial supporters. In order to accommodate the large numbers, Rock mentioned that the administration has a plan to ensure the seating process goes smoothly. Details will be shared with seniors and their families in the coming weeks.
That being said, Rock made clear that he is not by any means against the tradition of a “Vashon style” outdoor graduation, and he intends to keep the ceremony outside for years to come.
“The outdoor experience has become a community-wide event,” he said. “We’re outside, which is very Vashon. It’s like getting married in your backyard; it reflects us really well.”