Many annual events make up our school year, from assemblies to dances and everything in between. This school year, however, a decision was made to eliminate the 2013 Holiday Assembly due to a snow day and loss of time in fifth and sixth period classes. The change was unpopular to some and understandable to others.

On Wednesday Dec. 11, Principal Dennis Cramsey made an announcement over the intercom about the controversy over the decision. “I am the biggest supporter of school events,” Cramsey said, “but I always have your best academic interest in mind.” He clearly stated that the purpose of cancelling the assembly was simply to keep the school year moving at a smooth pace.

The biggest issue has appeared to be the failure to recognize the academic purpose behind the cancelling of the assembly. When fifth and sixth period classes lose time, whether it be from shortened class periods or snow days, they fall behind. This could prevent teachers from presenting the required material before finals arrive and leave students scrambling.

“I can understand why the decision was made,” junior Mara Walter said. “Some of the teachers were probably stressed already and appreciated the extra time.”

A petition circulated among the students clearly stating the importance of the assembly to the student body. The main driving force behind the petition was senior class Secretary Kristen Dowell. “Petitions are great ways to respectfully approach a matter,” Dowell said. “I thought ‘what is the point of being a class officer if I cannot help my classmates display their thoughts?’”

Many points were made to support the amount of discontentment. For one, many acts have been preparing to perform, including the dance team and the National Anthem singers.

Senior dance team member Madisyn Bennett was disappointed when she heard the news. The dance team bought new shirts and choreographed a new routine specifically for the holiday assembly. “We took so much time to make sure it was perfect and it’s just disappointing that we can’t do it,” Bennett said.

Secondly, the anticipation leading up to the holiday assembly every year is a tradition at Edwardsville. Not only that, the petition states that it is a tradition at EHS to celebrate before we face the dreaded finals week.

Lastly, the petition attempts to remind administration that the assembly allows the school to come together. When every class level is together in one place, the student body truly feels like one.

Whether the petition would affect anything or not, it really didn’t matter to some. It appeared to simply be a way of being heard. “I knew there was a strong possibility that it would not be changed,” Dowell said, “but as I told my classmates, I didn’t think that was a good enough reason to just do nothing.”