GRAD VENUE
The graduation ceremony for the Class of 2025 can count on a traditional graduation ceremony at War Memorial Stadium rather than the proposed Mid State Fairgrounds. The Fairgrounds became an option after safety and space became concerns with the War Memorial stadium.
Leadership teacher and Senior Class Adviser, Jennifer Martinez sent out a survey on Oct. 16, 2024, asking juniors and seniors for their opinion on the venue they preferred for graduation.
The Fairgrounds won the vote from the survey, but ultimately lost the decision due to additional costs, including security requirements specific to the venue. Students will still be limited to a maximum of 10 tickets, which is expected to address overcrowding.
In the earlier years when Paso High was first established, the graduation ceremony was held at Frontier stage, when the school was a lot smaller.
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GOWNS
After years of all crimson graduation gowns, a new design emerged to swift criticism this year. The new gowns were designed with embroidery on the sleeves, a white stripe down the middle, and a Bearcat on the front of the gown, much different from the previously solid crimson
tradition. Seniors were clearly upset after the Senior Meeting on Oct. 31, 2024.
“I was going to use my sister’s gown for graduation, but I can’t because the design got changed,” Alexia Mendoza said.
Many seniors said it looked like Santa Claus’s suit and started a petition to remove the white stripe out that went down the middle of the gown. The petition was passed around during Agriculture Government and Economics class 4th period on Oct. 31, after the Senior meeting.
The petition was successful leading to the graduation gown being redesigned, taking out the strip many seniors disliked.
Some features about the new redesigned gown are admired.
“What I do like is the embroidering, like the ‘bearcat’ and the white and ‘PRHS Bearcats’ on the wrists is cool,” Priscilla Utter said.
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GRAD NIGHT
Grad Night celebration is now confirmed at Disneyland 2025 for June 2-3. For the last three years, Grad Night has been held at California Adventure alongside many other high schools’ graduating classes, creating a sense of bonding during the night. But, expenses increased at California Adventure and Disney denied the PRHS tickets.
The 2025 seniors will attend Disneyland while it’s open to the public until midnight which gives the graduates an opportunity to buy merchandise and food, as well as ride rides and do activities all around the park. Previously, California Adventure only offered rides to grads.
“They go to California Adventure all day and stay there for Grad Night from 10pm until 1am. That is the ticket we’ve been able to receive the last three years,” Martinez said.
Every year Martinez submits a request for California Adventure for grad night. In the beginning of October, Disney emailed Martinez, informing that the school was not chosen as getting tickets for grad night, which has caused lots of backlash from the students.
Martinez and the 2025 Class officers looked at Universal Studios and Magic Mountain because they do grad night, but they all land either in May or June during or near finals, leading up to graduation week, or after graduation.
“So it’s really kind of a limited opportunity to do it. Once we were denied, I started looking at other opportunities with the class officers,” Martinez said.
