As the school year comes to an end, many seniors are beginning to prepare for graduation. A high school graduation which may seem insignificant to some, is an important milestone in a student’s life, as it marks the end of their K-12 education. A student’s decisions and actions are influenced by those around them, such as family, friends and even colleagues. As a result, students are forced to choose who to bring to their graduation amongst their loved ones, simply because they don’t have enough tickets.

West offers students up to seven tickets upon request, and though that may seem satisfactory to some, it is insufficient for many people like myself. My immediate family consists of six people, excluding me, which means I’d have to choose between my various aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends and people who have had an influence on my life. All while trying not to hurt anyone’s feelings in my decision.

In the past, graduation took place at West’s Mike Basrak Stadium; however, this year it’s being held at Northwestern’s Welsh-Ryan Arena. One may ask that, since the graduation is taking place at a larger venue, students should be allowed to bring more guests, which would seem to solve the problem. However, this may cause students to bring too many guests, making the larger venue insufficient.

In response to that, I’d say that students should have to fill out a form stating the size of their family and, upon return, be notified of how many guests they’d be allowed to bring. This means that a person with a larger family would be given more tickets than someone with a smaller family. Though this may seem unfair to those students who receive fewer tickets, it would ensure that all graduates are able to spend their special day with their loved ones.

Some may argue that students with smaller families may have others who have influenced them that they’d like to invite, which is fair. To provide a solution to this, I believe that in the form the school sends out, they should also include how many people the graduate would like to bring, and have the graduate provide a reason for inviting said person. Upon receiving the forms, the school should determine how many tickets each student receives. If a student feels that the number of tickets allocated is insufficient, they should be allowed to appeal the decision and request more tickets.

As no system is perfect, students should be allowed to have a say in the matter, as it is their loved one who will see them walk at graduation.