According to a press release from Change.org and a separate email from a petition organizer, students in Western North Carolina and other parts of the state are launching online petitions urging school officials to hold off on making a final decision about the format of graduation ceremonies for 2020 high school seniors.
The high school graduation trend, the press release says, is the hottest topic on Change.org, which hosts petitions of many types:
Schools throughout the nation have been forced to rethink the tradition, which would bring hundreds or even thousands of people close together, in a time when social distancing and shelter-in-place orders have been issued to curb the spread of the deadly virus.
The alternative of holding virtual commencements via video conferencing software, like Zoom, has been met by strong pushback, with a movement of more than 550,000 signers demanding an opportunity to have the event in-person at a later stage, when restrictions on gatherings have been lifted.
“The biggest trend on Change.org right now is being led by hundreds of students, urging high school and colleges to reschedule or postpone graduations canceled by COVID-19,” said Michael Jones, Managing Director of Campaigns. “There are petitions from almost every state, signed by thousands of students who don’t want their senior years to disappear without some kind of recognition.”
A petition targeting Buncombe County Schools has gained 1,250 signers, while a similar effort in Transylvania County has reached over 900 online signatures.
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