Michael Levin-Gesundheit
Editor-in-Chief

Tuesday came, and I wanted to take advantage of the Tutorial period. I hadn’t planned what I would do. Whether it was studying or just talking, I looked forward to a break between third and fourth period.

Unfortunately, there was no Tutorial for seniors on Tuesday, November 4. I heard there was a mandatory meeting in the theater about ordering graduation caps and gowns.

I wasn’t sure what it would be about. All I knew was that seniors needed to order caps and gowns so that they would be ready next spring. I didn’t want to go to the meeting, but I knew it was important: I didn’t know how to order a cap and gown yet. I sat down ready to learn.

I expected to hear directions from an administrator. The meeting began instead with a movie presented on a screen suspended from the ceiling. It was not a meeting about caps and gowns but a presentation about much more.

A sales representative for Jostens, a high school merchandise provider, emerged center stage. In between movies and PowerPoint slides he spoke. He told seniors a story about how his grandmother in Oklahoma valued graduation announcements. He said everything in an effort to sell us graduation announcements, mugs, sweatshirts, T-shirts, plaques, bracelets, class rings, necklaces and key chains.

Something soon shocked me that I saw on the presentation screen. The sales representative showed us a slide of a sample graduation materials order form. The form on the screen showed a bill of several hundred dollars.

No one needs to spend hundreds of dollars on graduation materials. A cap, gown and tassel cost $23.54 with tax. If students borrow a gown from a graduate of the school, they can buy a cap and tassel for just $15.

Jostens stole our tutorial time. The company tried to “steal” our money, too.

Tutorial is meant to stimulate educational activity. Sometimes students work on homework or talk to teachers. Sometimes there are assemblies held during the period. Sometimes students take a break to prepare themselves for their next class. Students should never be forced to surrender time meant for education to a sales presentation.

All students need to order graduation materials is an order form. Next year seniors should receive just that, an order form. Seniors could then fill it out and turn it in to a Jostens stand that would be set up at lunch.

The week of that Tutorial sales presentation Jostens set up tables in the quad just as I suggest they do next year, too. Seniors who were interested asked questions about items for sale. Those who were only interested in a cap, gown and tassel just dropped their forms off.

Tutorial is a time for education, not sales. However, if students want to go to a Jostens sales presentation, they should be allowed to. Next year there could be an optional graduation materials meeting in the theater. I just wonder how many people would go.