Graduation Pangs

I am a senior this year, and as such I have gone through a bunch of things that most everyone I know has referred to as "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Which explains my friend's constant marriages and divorces. What, isn't a wedding also supposed to be a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" as well?
But this is about my thoughts, not my friend's epic disappointments and failures.
For example, prom. Sure, maybe with that particular name. But at my prom, I honestly felt like I was basically just clubbing with more formal clothing. And how did I feel this way? One slow dance. One. And that was only because of the homecoming king and queen's spotlight dance, where everyone had to slow dance during that. It was essentially clubbing.
Not to say it wasn't fun, it was. It just didn't feel like a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity.
The reason I started this rant is because of a certain counter-argument someone presented me. But before this, you might want the entire back-story.
Basically, one day I was being hassled by some stupid company to buy graduation invitations and such stuff, and I thought it ridiculous. Why would I spend $50 to mail stuff to family and friends when I could accomplish the same feat for free by calling and saying "Hey, it's on this date."
I was listening blankly until the decided to pester me about shelling out $75 for my cap and gown. I was confused for a second, and asked, "Wait, you mean to keep?"
"No, to wear," a blank silence following.
"I have to pay $75 for an outfit that I'm going to wear for an hour and a half of my life, not counting rehearsals, which I must give back afterwards?"
She looked slightly taken aback. "Well... Yes."
"And isn't a cap and gown sort of necessary to, you know, walk at graduation?"
Her face began to show signs of nervousness. Obviously no one else had questioned this. "I... I suppose."
"So essentially, you're asking me to pay seventy-five dollars to participate in a ceremony which I have already earned the right to be in by surviving the trials and tribulations of high school, correct?"
"Er... yes...."
And that's when I flew off the handle. "You greedy-ass company." And I walked out.
There are several cultures with a rite of passage. It varies between them all, but all involves suffering through some kind of trial before you earn the privilege of participating in the ceremony. Absolutely no culture in the universe, after you've suffered, asks for your pet chicken in return for letting you hold a hot coal between your legs.
It's absolutely ridiculous to think that after I've gone through all the prerequisites needed to graduate, they can just say, "Oh yeah, and if you don't give us money, you can't walk." First off, it's completely unfair to the families that can't afford to take their kid to school everyday. I know a couple of kids who can't walk at graduation because they can't pay for the cap and gown because their parents have to save every penny for, you know, bills. And other important stuff. Like food. That's slightly necessary to survive.
Now, these kids are still graduating, as I am, but they won't be able to participate in a ceremony they've earned to be in, basically because they're poor.
So this is my protest.
To the people providing our caps? And our gowns?
Go play with your simian cousins.