On September 17, the students and faculty of Maize South High and Maize High schools received an all high school email about new information on the caps and gowns for graduation.

The email focused on the new requirements for Maize High and Maize South, stating that both schools would be switching to one gown color per school for unification throughout the district.

The USD 266 schools have been striving for more unity between the schools, as well as within the student body. The “OneMa1ze” vision has been adopted throughout the district as a way to unify schools to eliminate rivalries and build consistency in their curriculum, message and ideas.

The email, co-signed by Dr. Chad Higgins, Dr. Chris Botts and Maize South principal David Hickerson focuses on eliminating variables within our student bodies that may create division.

“We believe in the undefinable and indescribable potential in each student and want to work toward unity rather than separation. We do not want to place our students in categories. We want them and us to think bigger for the sake of the future,” said the USD 266 leadership.

There is a mix of emotions within the Maize South student body about the gowns. While some see the change as a harmless act for equality, some students are outraged by the new change.

“I despise it. I don’t like it because even though they were saying in the email how it makes everything equal and it makes it the OneMa1ze that they’re trying to do, it doesn’t really give us our definition anymore…or I feel like it doesn’t,” said senior Alanis Stowell.

However, not all people feel like the change has a large impact, or really, any at all on their feel for high school graduation.

Senior Preston Means feels indifferent about the change of attire

“I don’t care. If I’m graduating, then cool. Plus in college they do all black anyways so what’s the difference?” said Means.

Tanner Blaske, senior, agrees with Means that this change may be hyped up right now by our students, but little will notice once graduation comes around in May.

“I feel that there was a tradition that there were two different colors, but if they make changes, it doesn’t really affect anyone,” said Blaske.

It’s not only the seniors of our school who have an opinion on it. The news on the change is also being spread throughout the school, therefore even the underclassmen have their own thoughts and opinions on the recent colour change.

“I think that it’s a good thing and a bad thing,” said Paige Simmons, freshman. She then went to explain that there is more equality, even if it is at the cost of an eleven year tradition of Maize South High.

“I think it’s a good thing because it can eliminate a lot of bullying because if there were a transgender kid and they weren’t fully accepted in the guys or girls group then that could cause some upset. It is also a bad thing because it isn’t as color coordinated, but that’s not that big of a deal,” Simmons explained. 

No matter what color of gowns we wear, we wear them as Mavericks.