Diverting from the tradition of boys wearing maroon gowns and girls wearing white gowns, all graduating students will be dressed in maroon at this year’s graduation ceremony with hope that a singular color will unite the class.

Principal Thomas Mead believes that the maroon gowns will allow students to feel connected as a class one final time, highlighting that the decision to switch to a singular maroon gown color was a choice to promote unity.

“It’s better to have that show of unity that that one color represents for a school than having two different colors,” Mead said. “It’s one more time, in a very symbolic way, to pull the class together by all wearing the same color.”

Senior class advisor Nicole Ruffo also said that the color change centered around unity.

“This is one class; we’re not a white and a maroon class, we’re an Algonquin class,” Ruffo said. “We were steering towards one color because it’s for unity.”

The two colors of gowns at graduation started in 2006, so having one color gowns is not unprecedented.

A state mandate on gender discrimination stating “schools should eliminate gendered policies and practices such as [gender-based dress codes]’’ was also taken into consideration in the process of switching to maroon gowns.

“We’re a group of leaders here. We’re not a group of followers, so we decided that we were going to stand up to this mandate and follow it,” Ruffo said. “Other schools will have to follow soon too. This is a positive step in the right direction.”

The decision to wear maroon gowns shocked many students who felt like they did not have a say in the decision.

“I think there are a large amount of people who also believe that this did not have to be changed,

and are just as frustrated that there is nothing we can do,” senior Emily Crimmings said.

“The tradition is a great one, and I understand it is not a life or death issue, but it still is a tradition we wish we had.”

While many students are hesitant about changing tradition, the senior class advisors and class of 2015 steering committee are optimistic that it is for a good cause.

“I think it’s a good step in the right direction,” senior class president Emily Lowe said. “I think when people look at the big picture they’ll realize it’s not really that big of a deal.”

Senior class advisor Emily Philbin believes that although students were initially against the change, over time they will see how the new policy will bring the class together.

“I think that a lot of people are resistant to change, so when something comes up that they weren’t expecting I can understand that they often have a negative reaction, but in the grand scheme of things I think if people take a step back they’ll see it’s just a gown,” Philbin said. “This [2015] class and steering [committee] have been trying to do things to involve the whole class, so it’s just another example of being united as an entire class.”