Stay at home orders, canceling of events, social distancing...these are all phrases that were foreign to us before, but in the past month have become a part of our daily lives. While the Coronavirus has affected everyone around the world in some way, the senior class of Fairmont Senior High School asks that instead of canceling our prom and graduation ceremonies, these events instead be rescheduled for a later date over the summer when gatherings in large groups will hopefully be allowed again. 

While we understand the seriousness of the situation, there is a repeated message that we will make it through this. When we do, please let us celebrate the achievement we have worked on for 13 years in person, with our friends and family. Every class before us has had a graduation ceremony.  Hopefully, and most likely, all classes after us will as well.  Please let us have this same moment where we get to walk across the stage in front of the families and students we have spent years with. Especially if we cannot go back to school, give us the chance to say goodbye to our classmates and friends for the last time. 

Thankfully, Minnesotans have been taking social distancing seriously. We as a state are expected to be down to zero deaths by the end of May. While jumping right into large gatherings could possibly start another wave of the virus, we would like these events to be rescheduled (hopefully in late June or early July) when we won't be under social distancing restrictions. 

In ten years, the class of 2020 can either look back on how our senior year was ruined by a virus, or we can celebrate the achievement we made by joining together in a time of uncertainty, to fight for something we all believe in. To some adults, a graduation ceremony and prom for seniors is not a big deal. But I ask you to think back to these events when they happened to you. Would you have fought for them to happen if a pandemic was taking place during your senior year?  Would you be sad not to have those memories anymore?  We have already missed some momentous things, like Section and State Knowledge Bowl, and Section and State Speech.  We will also probably miss all of our spring sporting events, concerts, and special senior achievement banquets.  Please don't let us miss out on even more events than necessary.  Let us say goodbye to our classmates and teachers, let us finish our year strong with special memories from a graduation ceremony and prom, even if it has to be on a later date. 

Please join me in signing this petition on behalf of the seniors at Fairmont Senior High School to support the rescheduling of our prom and graduation to a date we can safely hold these momentous events in our lives instead of canceling them.

Thank you, 

FHS Senior class of 2020