Graduation cords recognize senior accomplishments. Photo courtesy of 2024 SLOHS graduate Ki Jouet.
It’s summertime and San Luis Obispo High School students and staff are taking a well deserved break. Newly graduated students are off to the next step in their journeys and the incoming seniors are gearing up for their last year and graduation.
However, many students, graduated or not, feel let down by the fact that students who choose to take music classes for all four years of high school do not receive recognition for their dedication through cords, as other pathways do.
Expressions interviewed a number of students to get their input on this disparity.
Expressions: What music classes did you take at SLOHS?
2024 SLOHS graduate Sofia Aguilera: I took all of them. I went through all of the instrumental music classes, I took marching band all four years of high school and then I did both concert bands. I did the symphonic lower level one and I did Wind Ensemble honors class.
Senior Gianna Dossa: I’ve taken Chamber choir.
2024 SLOHS graduate Sarah Elliott: I was in chamber choir for all four years.
2024 SLOHS graduate Angel Mata Gaspar: I took two trimesters of jazz band and three for marching and symphonic band.
Expressions: Do you think that students who took four years of music classes should get graduation cords for it?
Aguilera: Absolutely. I think that not a lot of people recognize the commitment that it is to be a musician in high school. We’re (SLOHS band) at every rally. We’re at every home football game, [even] some of the away ones. We try our best to be as involved as we can with the school community, and not being able to wear something at graduation to show that sucks.
Dossa: I think they should, because it’s a big commitment. You have to take a lot of trimesters worth of that elective spot. And so I think it really just demonstrates how much work you’ve put into one specific department. It definitely takes work especially if you want to get into higher levels of certain music.
Elliott: Yes, Because it still takes a lot of dedication and you’re still having to work. It’s kind of like a CTE pathway [in that] it takes up your time. You have to practice a lot, and it takes up an elective spot in all four years, so I think that students should be recognized for that.
Mata Gaspar: I think they should. Music and theater should get [cords] because they aren’t much recognized. They’ve done a lot of effort in their classes and I think they should be recognized more.
Expressions: Do you find it unfair that other pathways det cords while music doesn’t?
Aguilera: Yes, knowing that if you complete other school programs like the CTE pathways, you get a cord, it’s kind of unfair that we don’t get something like that.
Dossa: I think it would be more fair if all CTE pathways, music pathways, and things that you have to put a lot of elective credit into all got chords.
Elliott: Yeah. I think it’s just weird that other CTE pathways get it and for some reason, we don’t just because we’re not qualified as a CTE.
Mata Gaspar: Yeah, like I said, theater and others put in so much more effort than sitting in a classroom. Choir and band don’t really get recognized for CTE pathways, which they should.
Music students put in a lot of effort, and deserve to have something concrete to celebrate with at graduation. For the class of 2025 and onward, Tigers who put in four years of work should get cords to recognize that.
