Written by Zach Siddiqui, Humour Editor
PORT COQUITLAM, BC — Just like all the other Grade 12 students in British Columbia, Courtney Pierce has been counting the days until her one last chance to party with 400 people she blatantly despises. Now, her cancelled grad has left her heartbroken. Across the country, Pierce is one of many students who’ve lost their end-of-year festivities because close contact with their fellow grads could scar them physically instead of just mentally.
Together with her classmates from Port Island Secondary School (PISS), Pierce has launched a petition for their school district to hold an in-person ceremony, so they can say a final goodbye before deleting each other from their Facebook friends lists forever.
“I’ve been waiting for this day for so long,” Pierce told The Peak.
The PISS petition on change.org has garnered 2,000 signatures and counting.
“We understand that COVID-19 means we cannot hold a ceremony in June,” reads the petition. “However, instead of a virtual experience, we should be exploring other options.” The petition suggests a staggered ceremony over several days, or a drive-through ceremony “where we can at least fantasize about running each other over.”
Currently, Port Island intends to livestream a series of grad speeches from students and administration alike. However, PISS student Hunter Cheever has cancelled his valedictorian speech because he doesn’t “believe in cyberbullying,” according to the school.
PISS is one of several local high schools which traditionally holds its graduation photo-ops at SFU’s reflecting pool, where students can gaze into the depths and get a taste of what it’s like to be a college student. Unfortunately, this too has been cancelled.
SEE MORE: “Students gather at AQ reflection pond to reflect on their own worthlessness”
Several PISS students have also taken to social media to complain about the cancellation of their grad dinner and dance.
“How are we supposed to argue over who’s getting kicked out of which limo if we don’t even have limos anymore,” one student wrote in an Instagram caption.
“I just wanted one more night to eat chicken strips in the corner and not talk to anyone before I spend the rest of my life eating chicken strips in the corner and not talking to anyone,” Tweeted another.
