Camarillo high to hold its grad ceremony in the evening
By Jesse Harold and Michelle Christopher Special to the Acorn

After more than 50 years of afternoon graduations at Adolfo Camarillo High School, current Principal Glenn Lipman yielded to pressure from this year's senior class and moved the graduation ceremony to 6 p.m. instead of its traditional 4:30 p.m. start time.

Next June's graduation ceremony will be the first held at the later time.

Several representatives from the class of 2008 approached Lipman about changing the longheld graduation time mainly because afternoons in June are often uncomfortably hot for graduates and others in attendance at the outdoor event.

Another reason was that more parents would be able to attend if graduation were later in the evening.

Lipman told senior class representatives that if enough of the faculty agreed to the evening ceremony, he would change the time of graduation.

"We had over 33 teachers that will be able to go to the graduation," Lipman said.

Negotiations between seniors, faculty and the administration took nearly two months.

Senior Bri Toland, president of the associated student body cabinet, said the change was made to benefit the senior class.

The decision was not made without controversy, however.

"I think it should have been at 4:30 because I think that it still gives us time to relax and spend time with our friends and family. Why would we want to have graduation at 6 o'clock?" said a senior who asked to remain anonymous.

Regardless, a majority of students voted for the new graduation time.

Toland stated her reasons for pursuing the time change. "We had about one person at least faint due to heat stroke," Toland said.

The tradition of Grad Night, the night before graduation which seniors spend at an adultsupervised trip to Disneyland, was also a factor in the decision to make graduation later.

Because Grad Night lasts until the morning of graduation and the long commute from Anaheim to Camarillo can take up to three hours, the later graduation start time gives seniors more time to catch a few hours of sleep and get ready for the event.

Adolfo Camarillo High School seniors Michelle Christopher, 17, and Jesse Harold, 17, are staff members with the school's student newspaper, The Stinger.