My dream, as an every-day regular student of a Miami-Dade School, has always been to be able to help every student in any class be able to express themselves artistically or culturally. Miami, being one of the most diverse cities in the United States, is held to a high regard when it comes to student individuality. For me, attending a Magnet school of the arts, I expected to be embraced with creativity and surrounded by invidiualism in the new tradition and creative showcase that is "Cap Decoration." I was excited to articulate my artistic freedom and individuality by decorating my cap, like many students in my grade were looking forward to doing. For us, decorating our caps means so much more than gems on a piece of cloth cardboard, it means we did it. And we get to be ourselves celebrating our achievements. Individually. Together.

Recently, my school had an assembly with my graduating class, 2027, of rules and regulations for graduation. To our surprise, Cap Decoration was strictly against the rules, ruining our dream look for graduation.

Upon looking at the guidelines, I came to the conclusion that cap decoration was only a problem due to inappropriate cap designs, so I suggest this solution:

When receiving caps and gowns, students should be given a paper regarding the rules and regulations of cap decoration. Then, about a week before graduation, all students who had decorated their caps must show up to school with them so they are approved by a member of the school board. Upon approval, they will receive a ticket indicating that their cap design was approved. This ticket will have their name printed on, and a barcode that, when scanned, will prove authenticity. This ticket can also be used for attendance for graduation. Students with a decorated cap without a ticket will not be able to attend the ceremony with their un-approved cap.

Using this new approach will allow students attending Miami-Dade Schools graduating class to express themselves creatively, while setting a boundary on what's appropriate for graduation and what's not. With this method, both parties (School Board, Students) will be satisfied with the results. 

Please join us in signing this petition to give students the chance to proudly celebrate their graduation in a vibrant and meaningarful way.