On March 1 it was announced that this year there would be an update on how Camas High School (CHS) handles tickets at graduation. In the past, CHS would give graduates six tickets for family and friends to attend graduation. 

“We let ticket holders in from 5:30 P.M. to 6:30 P.M., and then from 6:30 P.M. to 7 P.M. anybody could get in,” said CHS administrator Brandi Reed.

Due to this change, there will be no public seating at graduation this year. Each senior will receive eight graduation tickets after graduation practice on June 9th. 

“We [made the change] because we found out that all our neighboring high schools have been doing that for years, and that way we can get a better grip on how many people can come in, and eight people is a pretty good number for each graduate,” said Reed.

She also mentioned that caps will be monitored more than years before. Behavior at graduation is expected to mirror behavior at school, so decorated graduation caps are expected to be school appropriate. 

“…We love to see what they’re going to do; see their personality shine through [graduation caps]. If [graduation caps are not school appropriate], [administration will] go ahead and hang onto those caps during graduation and we give [graduates] a new one with nothing on it,” said Reed. 

Silly string, confetti, and noisemakers are also not tolerated  at graduation. “…when silly string and confetti hits the track, they’re almost impossible to get out. The issue with [noisemakers] is when someone is sounding a noisemaker it sounds out other students’ names. We want everybody to be celebrated at graduation,” said Reed. 

Graduation events will start on May 31 with the senior family picnic at Doc Harris Stadium. “There’s Kona Ice, there’s barbecue, there’s obstacle courses, there’s photo booths, all sorts of things for seniors to do to celebrate with their family. Parents [and] siblings can come to that. It’s also when they pick up their cap and gown. It’s the kick-off of graduation,” said Reed.

“On Thursday, June 8, they go on their grad walk. [Seniors] all go down to Doc Harris in cap and gown. They’ll walk through their elementary school, if they went to one in Camas, and then they go through their middle school. They report back to Doc Harris and they have a graduation practice for about an hour and a half,” said Reed. Graduation practice and graduation will be on June 9. “…they will have grad practice in the morning where they will walk all the way through graduation all the way to noon, and then graduation that evening,” said Reed.

Graduation tickets will be given to graduates after graduation practice. No information could be given about graduation night, the party immediately following the graduation ceremony. CHS advertises the event, but it is run by CHS parents and information about the party itself is kept secret until the night of the party.