The class of 2023 of the Hawaiian Islands will be the first class to experience virtual graduation ceremonies with diplomas sent to the students address. As a Junior in High School, I can full heartly disagree what the DOE is trying to accomplish. The Department of Education (DOE) states: ..."But over the last two years, it's been made obvious that the cost of these events, both in funds and manpower overshadows the need to have them". Just because the event may have a hefty price tag and stressed manpower. No amount of money should pay for missing out of a life altering event additionally saying goodbye to friends, even significant others foundation being built since the start of students' High School careers. It is utterly disgusting and selfish. Additionally, "that Each year we spend around 2.3 million dollars on gradation events across our 79 public campuses, and in 2018, more than 3700 staff hours were used planning and implementing them. This is time and funding that could be better used to provide educational services to current students rather than entertaining former ones" (DOE). As a total cost of graduation funds: $181700000, that price multiplied by 49.5 will roughly equal the cost of the rail: ($9 billion) to put it out there, the rail was destined to be completed in 2020-- 2 years ago. As the DOE wants to shift their focus to education because of the generous number of hours that has been put in for schools' graduation, the employees are being paid plus the volunteers who want to be there to ensure students will have as memorable graduation experience. Because students will not have a true graduation experience, we will not have that memory in our hearts when trying to remember a moment as memorable as this.