But, the size and location of Woodlake High School's graduation is a bit different this year.
"I mena, some of it is kinda stupid but most of it is understandable because of the liability."
Ricky Christie and the rest of his senior class were told Thursday that their graduation had to move indoors because of the weather.
As a result, students who were originally given 10 tickets a piece were told they would be limited to a maximum of 8, causing some family members to change their weekend plans.
"I had to call about 20 family members from out of town, friends I hadn't seen in a few years and had to tell them they can't come now."
"We had to take some family aside and say, okay we'll have a part after and please sit here and we had family coming from Modesto, Sacramento."
Despite the sudden change, and the mixed response that followed, the forecasted thunder storm never showed up during the hour-long ceremony.
Woodlake High School Superintendant Tim Hire says they couldn't afford to take the risk.
"We thought it was important to ensure that we were able to have a ceremony and guarantee all students had their name read and receive a diploma at a graduation ceremony and the only way to do that was to move it indoors."
Some parents agree, saying they don't want the weather to put a damper on a night these seniors have worked hard to achieve.
"Well, I think the idea is to really focus on the kids and make it a happy time for them. If we focus on the weather and get all disgruntled, they're not going to have the same memory."
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