Graduation is currently to be held at Anaheim High School Cook Auditorium. If graduation is held there, every senior will receive 5 free tickets. The complaints against Cook is that there is limited seating, the building is small, there is limited parking, other graduations will be going on before and after so we're typically kicked out after a certain time, there's poor sound quality, and it's overall a dingy facility.
A solution is to hold Oxford's c/o 2017 graduation at Cottonwood Church (auditorium pictured). Although it is a church, the facility is large (seats 3,500), is well air-conditioned, has a video camera for screens and a high quality sound system, has an outdoor area for pictures, and has more than enough parking. Mr. Hoshi has presented this venue to the district and proposed that we hold graduation here (the cost will be $5,500), but the venue was rejected because the district argued it would be too controversial since it's a religious facility. Even though it's a church, several local schools hold events in this auditorium: OCHSA graduation, Los Alamitos' choir shows, Pacific College graduation, etc.
It shouldn't be a problem that it's a religious facility since there wouldn't be any religious activity going on. There also aren't any religious symbols inside the auditorium and nothing to indicate that it is a church. Please sign this petition to move our venue from Cook Auditorium to Cottonwood church.
Updates
April 10, 2017
Reaching 250 signatures demonstrates that many people agree a more appropriate venue is essential for our class. This number highlights how widely shared our concerns are regarding the limitations of the current auditorium. I appreciate the thoughtful feedback so many of you provided while signing.
Reached 250 supporters
April 9, 2017
April 9, 2017
The administration continues to cite concerns about neutrality despite several neighboring schools holding productive events at this facility. I am currently working on a formal rebuttal to provide the district with more evidence that this auditorium functions as a secular space for our community.
Reached 100 supporters
April 9, 2017
April 8, 2017
We are approaching one hundred signatures which marks a significant shift in our ability to be taken seriously by the district office. Achieving this total quickly will demonstrate to administrators that our concerns regarding the limitations of the current venue are widely shared by the student body.
56 Comments
If the only issue is the controversy of using a "religious" venue, I ask that the district please reconsider. We are not holding a school dance here, but a ceremony to honor and growth and future endeavors of upcoming graduating seniors. It is a beautiful venue and I do believe it is a truly memorable graduation venue.
I support the students' wishes for a better graduation ceremony. They deserve it. I am not Christian and do not oppose having my children graduate in a church.
Me, 2 of my sisters and our parents deserve to see our other sister/daughter graduate from high school. I think it is unfair to limit the amount of people allowed to attend, given family sizes range. In this case, our immediate household is made up of 5 people, not including the graduate. If the graduation stays at the Cook Auditorium, one of us won't be able to see our sister/daughter graduate.
ONCE in their lifetime event to celebrate not just 4 years of high school but most of the students have been at Oxford since 7th grade. Limiting family members to only 4 attendees for graduation prevents our immediate family to partake in this celebration. Cottonwood is closer to Oxford than Cook and is better equipped to handle a special event of this caliber.
It will be very disappointing and chaotic for family members to find parking spots and later try to find a seat inside. A big facility is very important!
It is for the kids and they deserved it
Terrific idea. Oxford should improve its interaction with community groups, and this would be a terrific start.
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Graduation is currently to be held at Anaheim High School Cook Auditorium. If graduation is held there, every senior will receive 5 free tickets. The complaints against Cook is that there is limited seating, the building is small, there is limited parking, other graduations will be going on before and after so we're typically kicked out after a certain time, there's poor sound quality, and it's overall a dingy facility.
A solution is to hold Oxford's c/o 2017 graduation at Cottonwood Church (auditorium pictured). Although it is a church, the facility is large (seats 3,500), is well air-conditioned, has a video camera for screens and a high quality sound system, has an outdoor area for pictures, and has more than enough parking. Mr. Hoshi has presented this venue to the district and proposed that we hold graduation here (the cost will be $5,500), but the venue was rejected because the district argued it would be too controversial since it's a religious facility. Even though it's a church, several local schools hold events in this auditorium: OCHSA graduation, Los Alamitos' choir shows, Pacific College graduation, etc.
It shouldn't be a problem that it's a religious facility since there wouldn't be any religious activity going on. There also aren't any religious symbols inside the auditorium and nothing to indicate that it is a church. Please sign this petition to move our venue from Cook Auditorium to Cottonwood church.
Updates
April 10, 2017
Reaching 250 signatures demonstrates that many people agree a more appropriate venue is essential for our class. This number highlights how widely shared our concerns are regarding the limitations of the current auditorium. I appreciate the thoughtful feedback so many of you provided while signing.
Reached 250 supporters
April 9, 2017
April 9, 2017
The administration continues to cite concerns about neutrality despite several neighboring schools holding productive events at this facility. I am currently working on a formal rebuttal to provide the district with more evidence that this auditorium functions as a secular space for our community.
Reached 100 supporters
April 9, 2017
April 8, 2017
We are approaching one hundred signatures which marks a significant shift in our ability to be taken seriously by the district office. Achieving this total quickly will demonstrate to administrators that our concerns regarding the limitations of the current venue are widely shared by the student body.
56 Comments
No one will care that it's in a church. When people look back on their graduation, they won't think, "Oh, it was in a church I hated it." They'll much more likely think, "Oh, it was at some crappy place and only my mom could fit in the back and couldn't even hear."
If the only issue is the controversy of using a "religious" venue, I ask that the district please reconsider. We are not holding a school dance here, but a ceremony to honor and growth and future endeavors of upcoming graduating seniors. It is a beautiful venue and I do believe it is a truly memorable graduation venue.
I support the students' wishes for a better graduation ceremony. They deserve it. I am not Christian and do not oppose having my children graduate in a church.
Me, 2 of my sisters and our parents deserve to see our other sister/daughter graduate from high school. I think it is unfair to limit the amount of people allowed to attend, given family sizes range. In this case, our immediate household is made up of 5 people, not including the graduate. If the graduation stays at the Cook Auditorium, one of us won't be able to see our sister/daughter graduate.
ONCE in their lifetime event to celebrate not just 4 years of high school but most of the students have been at Oxford since 7th grade. Limiting family members to only 4 attendees for graduation prevents our immediate family to partake in this celebration. Cottonwood is closer to Oxford than Cook and is better equipped to handle a special event of this caliber.
It will be very disappointing and chaotic for family members to find parking spots and later try to find a seat inside. A big facility is very important!
It is for the kids and they deserved it
Terrific idea. Oxford should improve its interaction with community groups, and this would be a terrific start.
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No one will care that it's in a church. When people look back on their graduation, they won't think, "Oh, it was in a church I hated it." They'll much more likely think, "Oh, it was at some crappy place and only my mom could fit in the back and couldn't even hear."