For four years, NC’s Magnet students struggle through AP exams, demanding classes, and college admissions. Those who conquer these obstacles receive acknowledgement for their hard work by standing among the first students to graduate at the end of the year.

Still, murmurs travel through the crowd. What about equality? What about our sacrifices? Why should they get all the special treatment?

Those who pursue the argument make a compelling point, but fail to see the bigger picture.

First of all, Magnet students, required to take on massive loads of honors and AP courses, cannot retreat to the safety of an on-level class. Constantly plagued by stress and competition, they know all too well that failing to keep up could result in their expulsion: not merely from the Magnet program, but in many cases from NC itself. The students who succeed in the challenging environment deserve a just reward, and graduating first fits the description.

Magnet students, who can attend other high schools, chose NC, which suggests their commitment to the Warriors above and beyond the ordinary. NC should reward loyalty by early graduation as well.

Beyond ethical arguments, though, letting Magnet students graduate first also makes more sense logistically. Unlike non-Magnet students, who live in NC’s district and therefore can easily attend the entirety of the ceremony, many Magnet students live in distant parts of the county, which makes getting to graduation difficult for a number of Magnet parents. Certain parents also have commitments with other children who may or may not attend NC, and they may be physically unable to come for all of the ceremony. Early graduation allows Magnet parents to see their children graduate without placing additional stress upon their already bustled lives.

Magnet students should keep graduating first: it makes life easier for parents and students, and it rewards students with exceptional commitment and drive.

As Leonardo da Vinci inscribed on the reverse of his masterpiece Ginevra de’ Benci, “virtutem forma decorat:” beauty adorns virtue.

NC should not, in the name of egalitarianism, deprive the virtuous of that beauty.

Earning a high school diploma marks a milestone in life for a number of graduating seniors, and students talk about and look forward to it throughout their time at NC. Four years of hard work, dedication, procrastination, and a countless amount of standardized tests all lead up to the moment of graduation. By letting Magnet students graduate first, the school puts them on a pedestal they do not deserve.

“Magnet students shouldn’t graduate first because they kind of fly through high school by doing the normal amount that an on-level student would do,” Sophomore Shelby Ruhl said.

Magnet students must attend specific AP classes, but anyone can take the courses and the title of “Magnet student” makes no difference to college admission teams. Colleges pay attention to the number of AP classes taken, not the title that comes with them. Allowing Magnet students to graduate first only lets them build upon the egotistical idea that “normal students” share no similarities with them in terms of class difficulty level.  Rewarding students for simply attending NC’s Magnet program seems absurd.

Graduation should celebrate all students’ accomplishments in high school, not just the students who seem “more intelligent.” All seniors receive a diploma at graduation to celebrate their accomplishments, but giving Magnet students their diplomas first gives them more of a reason to believe they have the right to graduate before other students. If I sat through graduation with these conditions, I would feel as if my high school accomplishments did not share the same significance as a Magnet student’s.    

When attending graduation, one should feel pride in their work, but Magnet students take the spotlight away from others. They should graduate with other seniors, not separately, and NC should celebrate all seniors equally.