The staff at Mt. Everest Academy, a San Diego public school, have chosen to hold this year's high school graduation at Mt. Helix Park Outdoor Amphitheater, a, quote Principal Courtney Browne, 'beautiful venue'—nothing more. The main attraction of this park, however, is a gigantic cross statue in the center of the park, which the seniors all must face while walking on the stage and receiving their diplomas.

Besides being a public, and therefore, by law, secular school, MEA is a community that has always thrived on diversity, and a majority (if not most) of this year's graduating class is not Christian. For these reasons, this venue is totally inappropriate. I know that I, and many of my friends and classmates, do not want to spend one of our lives’ pivotal moments standing directly across from the symbol of a religion that, at best, means little to us, and at worst, represents an institution associated with hate and injustice. I do not wish to conclude my already disrupted high school experience at such a venue, and I, as well as others, are considering simply not attending our own graduation.

The seniors themselves were given little to no say on the matter of venue—we were simply given the choice between a 'small, outdoor venue' and sharing a venue with another school, during a zoom meeting that many of us were unable to attend, and some didn't even know about. So, I am asking for a collective say in the matter now. Principal Browne has not answered my email on the subject, and has only offered rude, dismissive replies to concerned parents.

Please sign this petition to demand that the MEA class of 2021 graduate at venue where all of the seniors will feel comfortable, respected, accomplished, and proud!