By Jami Davis
Senior Joey Shelton exercises his first amendment rights.
What made you think about starting a petition?
Well, that’s how it works in the government. You get the people together and a grassroots effort usually works.
What was your goal in starting the petition?
I was working to keep the walls from being painted over [in Ms. Eliades art room] to preserve the art work from students a long time ago.
How many names did you end up with for the petition?
437, seven of which were teachers.
How did you go about approaching people?
I would just go to them and say “Do you know the art room murals in Ms. Pierce’s classroom?” And if they did, they would sign, after I told them what was going on. If they didn’t then I would show them pictures I had printed out.
Did you ask for any type of permission to start the petition?
I didn’t really ask for permission, but after about 170 signatures maybe, I had to go to Ms. Smallwood and talk to her, and tell her it was in the works.
What reaction did you get from the administration?
They were open towards it for the most part, but when it got to a certain point they were like, “But we did give her permission a while back.”
Did you have any direct conversation with Ms. Eliades?
I talked to her a few times.
What was the end result that you were looking for?
I was looking for them to at least be preserved for a set amount of time.
How do you feel about the process of petitioning?
It’s again, how the government works. If people are going to bring about change, or not bring about change, that’s the way to do it.
Would you ever create a petition again?
If given the opportunity, yes. Even though it didn’t work this time we got it to the SGA meeting and we got endorsement, so it was obviously something that had a fighting chance.
Why did you go to the SGA?
They represent the voice of the student body, so going to them and having the entire voice of the student body endorsing it would look better to administration.
Do you think students have an opportunity to make a change in policy in schools?
Yes, they can definitely make change in policy as long as it is reasonable and not something completely outrageous.