Nice clothes, gown, cap, and lanyard. The upcoming graduation for the senior class of 2017 will feature a new addition: each student will walk up to the stage wearing their ID, hidden under their navy blue gown.

It was a decision made by the administration with the purpose of keeping the students safe.

After the issue arose of the students having to graduate by houses, disappointment resonated among seniors.

Now, the students are greeted with more disappointment after finding out that they are required to wear their school ID, a precautionary measure that most seniors deem unneccessary.

“We are here for graduation. All of the seniors have worked so hard for so long to get to this point. This is supposed to be our day. We have already bought the gown, so I feel like the lanyards just ruin the whole experience,” senior Aspen Jones said.

The seniors have spent three years at Har-Ber, and they are finally going to graduate on May 20. They have been a part of the school, participating in school activities and classes.

With the end of their high school career getting closer, they definitely feel that they have grown up, coming out of high school as more responsible people who are ready to face the adult world.

“My time at Har-Ber has definitely helped me grow, but I hate that I have to end my time here in high school wearing a lanyard at graduation,” Jones said.

Even though the students understand that is part of a safety procedure, according to them, the strictness about lanyards throughout the year has been blown way out of proportion with this addition to their graduation ceremony.

The students considered also other alternatives, that could be useful to ensure the security of all seniors and at the same time make their experience pleasant.

One of the options suggested was to bring their lanyard to graduation, show them to administration when checking in, and leave them in a safe place before the ceremony, so that they do not have to wear them on the stage while receiving their graduation diplomas.

Another suggestion that was brought up was to take a picture of the lanyards and show them to administration before graduation.

Senior Josh Hong prefers to not wear lanyards at all on graduation day.

“I do prefer to not have to wear the lanyards at all, but I would rather just have it with us before we enter the arena. I understand that the administration is only trying to keep us safe, but to me, lanyards mess up graduation pictures and create an added hassle for seniors,” Hong said.

The administration, on the other hand, explains that is just for the safety of the students.

They need to make sure everybody that is checking in is a senior of Har-Ber High School and not a stranger.

It is the easiest way to identify students and it is a quick safety precaution.

According to administrator Nichole Davis, the past identification procedures were difficult and took too much time.

The ID and lanyard system will make the process shorter, while ensuring the smooth transition of students from one place to the next.

“We were asking lanyards to be worn so we can identify students easily, just as a safety precaution,” Davis said.

For the first time in the history of Har-Ber High School, seniors will be checked into their graduation with lanyards, and they will be expected to leave these lanyards on for the duration of the ceremony.

Despite all of the frustration surrounding this new initiative, no one will see the students’ IDs because they will be hidden underneath the robes. Even though the lanyards will not be visible, they are still an added concern that seniors wish they could avoid on the biggest day of their high school experience.

“I honestly think they are not necessary. I don’t see the need in having them,” senior Tatiana Mendoza.