Graduation is going to be a little less colorful this year.

The graduation gowns are only to be one color this year. This decision was made by Oxnard Union High School District Superintendent Dr. Penelope DeLeon, who wants only one color to accommodate students with gender identity issues. The decision applies to all schools in OUHSD.

CI Principal Dr. Ray Senesac said he has not received any complaints for the gown change.

“It is up to the students to choose the color,” Dr. Senesac said.

In the past, girls wore yellow or gold graduation gowns and boys sported royal blue gowns.

Wendy Arevalo, ASB senior class vice president, said that this year all the gowns will be blue and stoles will be yellow. The ASB class voted on the new colors, she said.

Arevalo said she was “ticked off” when she first heard about the change because the school has always had two colors for graduation gowns.

Seniors Daniel Serrano and Dulce Garcia said they were OK with the change.

“I don’t mind honestly,” Serrano said. “They’re just changing the colors — it’s no big deal.”

Added Garcia, “I think it’s good because it’s like saying we’re all equal. At the beginning I was like, ‘why?’ But now, I think it’s good that it’s one color.”

Graduation will take place on Friday, June 15, at the Ken Benefield Stadium.

Another change for seniors is this year’s Grad Nite location. Grad Nite will be at Universal Studios rather than Disneyland, its traditional location.

According to Arevalo, Channel Islands’ ASB Grad Nite ticket coordinator, who resides in Florida, could not obtain the tickets due to the hurricanes that afflicted her home state in early September. Because she had no internet connection, she was not able to help with the process of getting the tickets.

Due to this natural disaster, the seniors will be going to Universal Studios this year for Grad Nite.

“I’m a little upset,” said Francisco Estrada, a senior. “Grad Nite has always been at Disneyland. It’s always been magical and fun, and Universal Studios … I don’t know about that.”

Grad Nite will take place on Friday, June 8.