We’ve made it to 2025. It’s the final semester of the school year, and for seniors, this also marks their final semester of high school.

Nearing the end of a long journey filled with stressful nights, high-stakes exams and college application deadlines, senior students are beyond ready to enjoy the best part of their year — the senior events. 

Grad night, prom and graduation are all events that seniors have looked forward to for four years. Now that those momentous occasions are closer than ever, an air of excitement is evident among senior students. 

There’s only one issue. Many seniors have long been unaware of the rules, requirements and money that go hand in hand with senior events. Unfortunately, recent assemblies reminding seniors of these things have served as unpleasant experiences for many.

Let’s start with grad night. The event, which is scheduled to take place on June 6, understandably prohibits illegal substances and other dangerous activities. Bringing in most outside food is also against the rules, in accordance with Universal Studios’ park policies.

While most seniors are looking forward to the event, some have voiced less enthusiasm regarding the price point of tickets.

“For $135, I could go to Disneyland for a whole day,” senior Samantha Dorado said. “Universal Studios is nothing compared to that.”

Another highly anticipated event is prom. Most teenagers dream of prom for years, but precisely because of the high expectations surrounding it, many students are afraid it may not live up to the hype.

There are many factors that play into an event like prom. Food, location and music can make or break the event.

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to always please everyone. Students’ individual visions for a “perfect” prom are rarely the exact same across an entire graduating class. 

As such, even though critical details about prom have yet to be released, some students express their fear of disappointment. 

“I hope they don’t pick a basic theme like under the sea or everyone will be disappointed,” senior Alex Olea said.

Graduation, the most important event of the year in the eyes of many seniors, has also faced student discontent. 

For seniors, graduation is the final moment to feel special and reflect on their high school journey. However, the rules surrounding graduation are upsetting to many students. 

For instance, seniors aren’t allowed to decorate their caps. Decorating your graduation cap is a tradition that has long been present both on television and in real life at other schools. 

This rule seems particularly restrictive given that the students are required to pay for the cap and gown themselves. Despite having paid for their clothes, they don’t have the option of decorating it to make graduation even more special.

One of the worst offenses is that students are not allowed to bring their phones to graduation. 

Graduation is an event for seniors to celebrate their last moments of high school alongside their closest friends and classmates. Because of the rule against phones, students are effectively prohibited from conveniently capturing these moments.

Senior year, and the events awaiting the graduating class at the end of it, represents the culmination of years of effort and hard work. 

Seniors should be allowed to celebrate the end of an era in less restrictive ways.