A group of Blair High School students are trying to honor their classmate who died by having an empty chair where he would’ve sat at graduation. The administration denied the request.
“This is kind of our last chance to have a closing with him,” Senior Zach McDonald explained. "I think we just see it kind of as a respectful thing to do to honor them."
McDonald and Nathan Zeimet want to see their good friend Trent Hill honored at graduation this weekend by having an open chair where he would've sat. Hill was killed in a rollover crash in Blair when he was a sophomore in 2014.
Blair School Board Policy says significant memorial activities are not appropriate for major school events such as graduation.
The seniors say they got about 250 signatures from classmates and teachers who want to see an open chair, but so far it's not changed the administration’s minds.
"Upset, it made us a little angry too I mean obviously it is for us but if the entire senior class wants it to happen I don't understand why we can't do it for him to show that we care and we remember him,” Zeimet described.
The seniors want people to gather outside Blair High School on Friday at 3:15pm to show their support. Graduation is scheduled for Sunday May 21 at 1pm at the high school.
