Principal 'leis' down rules for graduation

Leis won't be decorating gowns of Douglas High School graduates on Friday.

Principal Marty Swisher said Tuesday that he was representing the consensus of the graduation committee that students should be uniform for their graduation ceremony.

"In the course of discussions we talked about the level of formality we wanted for graduation," Swisher said. "The consensus of the committee was that we wouldn't allow anything not recognized by the school."

Parent Davelyn Miyashiro said parents make 40-50 leis to give to the band and choir and other seniors.

"We've been doing this for three years through two principals," she said. "I don't think he realized how important it is to us."

Swisher said the issue came up while he was talking to students about graduation ceremonies scheduled for Friday.

"I offered a number of options to Mrs. Miyashiro," he said. "But we had a student come up with the best idea where a parent would present the lei to the student before graduation ceremony and the student would return it to the parent who would wear it during the ceremony and then return it to the student after the ceremony."

Students who don't remove the leis will not be allowed to walk in the ceremony.

"We are not trying to dishonor anyone," he said. "That's not my purpose in this. I've tried to hit home with the kids that this is graduation is the last time all the students will be together. Wearing the caps and gowns is like a uniform - it brings us together, it unifies us."

Miyashiro said parents will be gathering Thursday night to make leis.

Graduation is 5 p.m. Friday at Douglas High School. While it appears the weather will cooperate, Swisher said if graduation has to be canceled, it will go at 9 a.m. Saturday.

So far, it appears 399 students will graduate, but that number could move up or down over the next few days, Swisher said.