Document text
Photo by Bob Pennell North Medford High School senior Alicia Mersch prefers black when it comes to graduation gowns, but Principal Don Lacey has told her she must wear red to participate in the commencement ceremony tonight. Grad sees red North senior gown tradition wears poorly By VICKI GUARINO It's sexist, demeaning and just plain ugly. That's how graduating senior Alicia Mersch views the gown she's supposed to wear at North Medford High School's commencement ceremony tonight. She isn't sure what she is going to do about the robe, but she is sure she doesn't want to wear it. Alicia is objecting to a graduation tradition at North: Boys wear black gowns, girls wear red, and sit in alternating rows during the ceremony. Black and red are the school colors. For Alicia, the arrangement singles out girls to wear something other than the traditional black gown. She associates the red gown with such unsavory icons as "The Scarlet Letter" and red-light districts known for prostitution. "I'm a strong feminist," she says. "And you should see the color of the red," she adds. "It's devilish -- I don't know how else to describe it." The objection has taken school officials by surprise. North Principal Don Lacey says the black-red color scheme has been the tradition at North for at least a dozen years -- long before he became principal. It has nothing to do with singling out girls. "I've never had one complaint about the color of the gown," Lacey says. When Alicia announced this week that she wanted to wear black, Lacey balked. If Alicia wants to participate in the ceremony she'll have to wear red, he says. The graduating students, like those performing in school bands and athletic teams, are part of a group representing the school in a public event. Uniforms are required to participate, says Lacey. He says he's also surprised by the timing of Alicia's protest. Students bought gowns two to three weeks ago. Perhaps if Alicia had raised her objections then, the school might have been more accommodating. Like most of North's 330-some graduating seniors, Alicia bought her assigned gown. She says she didn't object then because she was simply too busy trying to finish her school projects. She's graduating with a 4.0 grade-point average and has performed nearly 100 hours of community service. And, she adds, she never thought her color choice would cause her so much trouble. She obtained a black gown from a friend and expected the principal to allow her to wear it. "It shouldn't have been that big a deal," she says. On the other hand, she says, participating in the graduation ceremony "to me is a very big deal." "Graduation is more than a piece of paper," she says. Her grandparents have arrived from the Midwest to join her parents in watching tonight's ceremony. Amid a house filed with balloons, cakes and banners, Alicia has prepared both the black and red gowns for the event. Her mother, Debbie Mersch, says she'll support her daughter in whatever she decides to do tonight. "This is important to her," Debbie Mersch says. "It's not important to them," she adds, referring to school officials, "but they're making a big deal out of it." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA