When senior committee leaders began to choose the official senior class hoodie, they quickly realized that selecting a single design for hundreds of students would be far more complicated than expected. What initially seemed like a straightforward school spirit project soon revealed how difficult it can be to satisfy every individual preference across an entire grade level.

“Having everyone like the same hoodie has been nearly impossible and it will always be impossible because we don’t all have the same taste,” said senior hoodie committee leader, Jerónimo Mejía.

In addition to managing student feedback, the committee faced practical challenges, such as coordinating with their supplier, Dukop, and working within a restricted fabric color palette. However, the main problem came from strong disagreement among classmates over more unusual color suggestions, including yellow, purple, and neon green.

“What surprised me the most was that people in some cases took it personal,” Mejía said. “They began insulting others… people becoming very rude to each other simply because of a color.”

To settle the disagreement fairly, the committee conducted multiple online surveys to narrow down the choices. The organizers eventually focused on a line of certain shades, leaving the final decision up to a class-wide vote.

“The result was actually not close at all,” Mejía said. “And this school is a democracy. So at the end of the day, we have to follow what the general public says.”

Surrounded by fabric swatches and Dukopp color catalogs, senior committee leaders like Mejía quickly realized that choosing a single hoodie design for hundreds of students would be more complicated than expected. While committee members focused on organizing polls and coordinating with the manufacturer, students outside the planning group, like Julieta, an 11th-grade voter, saw the decision as an important part of their senior tradition.

“When I first saw the different hoodie colors, I was excited to see the options and how different each one looked,” said Espinal. “I think the color is important because it’s something we’ll all wear and remember from senior year.”

Throughout the voting process, students talked about the options in group chats and during lunch, though many voters made a point of sticking to their personal preferences rather than just following their friends.

“My friends’ opinions influence me a little because I like hearing what they think, but at the end of the day, I still choose the option I personally like the most,” Espinal said.

For many students, having a transparent voting process was the key to keeping the grade united, making sure everyone felt heard even if their preferred color was not selected.

“Even if the winning color isn’t the one I voted for, I would still be excited to wear the hoodie,” Espinal said. “I think it will end up being special because it represents our senior year and our grade as a whole.”