Malden Catholic Students Petition For In-Person Graduation

MALDEN, MA — Some Malden Catholic High School students are calling on Headmaster John Thornburg to hold off on graduation until it's safe to hold an in-person ceremony. A petition to hold an in-person ceremony once coronavirus restrictions have lifted has received nearly 200 signatures.

"On behalf of my fellow classmates, while we appreciate the thought in giving us a virtual graduation during such a difficult time, we would rather wait until a time when we can have a proper graduation," wrote senior Dominic Dascoli, who started the petition on Change.org. "We would much rather spend one last time together in person, even if we have to be a certain distance from each other. Looking at graduation through a screen does not satisfy us for the work we have put in the past four years and is not an acceptable end for our class."

Thornburg did not immediately respond to a Patch request for comment. The school began handing out graduation lawn signs Tuesday, and it plans to have a special visit day next week for students to clean out their lockers, receive a senior tee shirt and safely take a photo in the courtyard with administrators.

Thornburg wrote in his weekly newsletter that the school is still finalizing graduation plans based on feedback from seniors and families.

"We received excellent feedback and will do our best to incorporate the comments and as many of the creative ideas as possible into our final plan," he wrote. "Our administrators are meeting this week to discuss the data and will iron out the details."

Students at more than a dozen other schools have started similar petitions. Meanwhile some districts have developed a socially distant celebration, with tentative plans to honor seniors in person in the future.