Breaking tradition

Mia Dixon-Slaughter, Co-Editor-in-Cheif

June 14, 2013

Too anxious to wait, seniors Yaritza Figueroa and Brenda Aguyo open their cap and gown packages with friends, at the lunch tables, during B lunch on, June 4, in order to try on their caps and tassel. “ I’ve been waiting four years for this!” Figueroa said.

The class of 2013 will graduate on June 20 at 8:00 p.m. but not on Downey High School’s field; the decision has been made to have the ceremony at Cerritos College.

This is not the first graduation to be held at Cerritos; nine years ago the 2004 graduating class was in the same scenario. The ceremony will not be held in Downey’s stadium for many reasons, one being that the construction at the school is still in progress, and the faculty and ASB agreed it would be more convenient to have the ceremony at a larger stadium because of the size of this senior class.

ASB president, Carla Rosales, 12, explained that the construction on campus and the size of the stadium are a disadvantage for the graduating students.

“We were having a lot of trouble with space because our senior class is a lot bigger than before,” Rosales said, “and the construction also makes everything difficult.”

The class of 2013 does appreciate the extra space. Since the stadium at Cerritos is larger than Downey’s, the students have no limit as to how many friends and family members they can bring. These relieved some students and made them even more excited for their senior graduation.

Clare Cho, 12, was happy to hear that she would be able to bring as many guests as she’d like and didn’t mind that the graduation ceremony wouldn’t be at Downey.

“I don’t mind the changes,” Cho said. “I would rather be able to bring all my friends and family than have to fight for tickets because the space is so limited here.”

Although some seniors enjoy the benefits of the different location, others believe the graduation would be more sentimental if it was at their own school. Since the students have dedicated four years of their life to this school, to not graduate where they started would be depriving them of their school spirit.

Steven Clemens, 12, felt that the graduation is perfect for our conditions now but the upcoming classes would not appreciate it if the graduation continued to be at Cerritos.

“The future graduating classes would not approve, seeing as they want to finish where they started,” Clemens said, “because our sweat, and sometimes blood, is shed on school grounds and having graduation here is a reminder of the struggles, the memories made, the friendships—it’s all connected.”

Even faculty had strong opinions about the location change. It surprised some of the staff members who agreed that traditions such as turning the stage into a Viking ship will be missed.

Counselor, Nicole Sanders, doesn’t think the same essence can be grasped on a different field.

“The graduating committee transformed the stage into a Viking ship,” Sanders said. “We simply can’t capture that same Viking feeling at Cerritos.”

The graduation may not be held here, but the seniors will now be able to graduate with all their friends and family in one place and, enjoying a stress-free ceremony that will still be significant to these soon-to-be high school graduates.

About the Contributors

Mia Dixon-Slaughter, Co-Editor-in-Cheif

Mia Dixon-Slaughter, Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Downey Legend, stepped into the world of journalism 3 years ago as a sophomore. After a great deal of persuasion from her two best friends, who were on staff at the time, Dixon-Slaughter submitted her application at the semester and was welcomed shortly after. “I love writing and always have,” Slaughter said, “but I’ve always stuck strictly to literature so branching out into a different style and type of writing has helped me develop as a writer.” Although writing essays and covering stories can be polar opposites, the writer adjusted without much trouble. During her time at The Downey Legend, she has covered numerous stories, fiddled with the camera, and established the newspaper’s credibility on social media. She is competent enough to know what it takes to have efficient deadlines; all Slaughter has to do now is to guide her staff in that direction. If the writer is not covering stories happening around school, she is still somehow always somewhere on campus. Juggling AP classes, an ASB position, and her role in newspaper, Slaughter often finds herself with a hectic schedule. This being said, when genuine free time presents itself, she takes full advantage of it. “I love getting lost or ending up in places spontaneously because it feels so great to not have an agenda sometimes,” Dixon-Slaughter said. While the senior is busy getting ready for college and balancing out the rest of her responsibilities, she hopes to provide the staff with an exemplary example of the amount of greatness that can rise from commitment.

Lauren Montano, Co-Copy Editor

Senior Lauren Montano is an aspiring photographer for The Downey Legend. As a cheerful photojournalist, she is inspired by her settings when taking images of the everyday life of Downey High’s students. For Montano, anything that captures the vibe of a certain place should be photograph-worthy. Her main source of inspiration comes from National Geographic, since the magazine depicts both professional and amateur photographs. This exuberant student hopes to one day be employed by this magazine. Montano regularly checks Vanity Fair and The New York Times for their visually enticing photographs and in-depth articles. Personally, the vivacious photographer prefers to take black and white photography, since it is more timeless and isn’t set in one period. Montano finds pleasure in listening to music, discovering new artists, and reading. “Books give a unique perspective of the world,” Montano said. Author Zora Neale Hurston has had a huge impact of Montano’s life, allowing her to appreciate the writing style of an American author. In her free time, traveling and discovering the world also satisfies Montano, reaching destinations as far as Spain. As an interested Liberal Arts major, Montano hopes to attend Arizona State University or The University of Denver. Whatever Montano chooses to do in life, all she needs is a little inspiration from her colleagues to make her dreams come true.