As said in past editorials, tradition is very important to New Trier as our school has been around for over 100 years.

One of the most visible examples of our tradition is that every year, the graduating class gathers in an arena, completely clothed in white dresses and white tuxedos for the commencement ceremony.

It is mandatary for all those who want to walk at graduation to wear white tuxedos and long white or off-white dresses.

Although there are some allowance for variation in the dresses and tuxedos, attire must follow strict guidelines. These guidelines are made to ensure uniformity of all students.

This ceremony is the culmination of over ten years of schooling.

It is a reason to celebrate, it celebrates the hard work and lessons that we have learned.

For the same reason our parents pay thousands of dollars for a graduation party, seniors, advisers, and the administration dress up extravagantly for the ceremony commemorating this accomplishment.

It is something that is unique to New Trier. Almost every other public school in the country graduates in cap and gown, but not us. Conformity is not something in New Trier’s DNA and we need to be proud of the uniqueness and longevity our traditions have produced.

There are undoubtedly aggravating and even outdated parts to the attire requirements, like how girls’ dresses must be longer than mid-calf and that there cannot be colored accessories.

The school can and should keep the tradition, while making minor updates to the dress code.

The school can also take steps to help some afford the expensive dresses and help promote and expand the White Dress Project.

In order for the attire to work it needs to be affordable and not a burden.

It can be strict and maybe even annoying at times, but that does not mean we should abandon a long standing Trevian practice.

Storied traditions are the things that keep us one of the most well known and top schools in the nation.

The fact that all 1000 seniors graduate together, wearing the same color and looking similar, brings us closer as a class.

It is only standard that since we heard  the same lessons, walked the same steps in the hallway every day, that we dress alike, and graduate together, uniformly.

Some of the complaints heard about the attire regarding the color of shoes and lack of variety in tuxedos seems slightly childish.

I don’t think that it is a big deal for us to be sitting for a few hours at the ceremony and then at the graduation party. We can handle the few hours of possible discomfort.

Not to mention that dressing in tuxedos and white dresses is aesthetically pleasing and the utter coolness of wearing white tuxedos and dresses is something out of a movie.