It is no secret that the class of 2020 has been hit hard with the loss of it's prom, senior skip day, goodbyes to teachers/friends but worst of all, graduation. 

The Anchorage School District has been reluctant to respond to questions about what graduation will look like but it has been confirmed time and time again that it will not be normal.

Drive-through graduation? Zoom graduation? Surely we will not have to finish our senior year this way. 

I propose that we celebrate our seniors this year in a way that counts. 

Graduation on the football fields at each respective high school would be a safe and memorable way to make this happen. A football field is 57,600 square feet. This means that up to 1,600 people could stand one one field with six feet separating them from each other and up to 400 people could stand of a football field and all be twelve feet apart. To put this into perspective, West High School only has 361 seniors. 

For the sake of safety, this proposed plan for graduation would have no audience but it would be live-streamed for parents and family members to watch. Obviously, this is not ideal but given the situation and the other options on the table, this seems to be the best. 

Without a graduation, the class of 2020 will finish their high school career with nothing but the click of a 'submit' button and a diploma in the mail. 

I encourage all of you to share this petition and to reach out to your school district officials their contact information is available on the Anchorage School District Website.