York senior issues special comment to School Board

The Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Board’s remote meeting of April 28 included one public comment. The board invited public comments to be submitted in writing prior to the meeting.

Jack Castanoli, a senior at York High School, submitted the only public comment. Board president Kara Caforio read Castanoli’s comment early in the meeting. It is printed below in its entirety:

“The Class of 2020 has been longing normalcy ever since our last day inside the walls of York High School. We have been craving the days that every York class has been guaranteed. Prom, graduation, awards night and even senior ditch day. We have put the most consequential period in our life, thus far, on hold for others. For our doctors, nurses and EMTs.

“The Class of 2020 deserves a sense of normalcy upon the rescheduling of these events, not a cancellation. A cancellation of these events simply rips the Class of 2020 of the 12 years of education we have worked so hard for.

“Reschedule a normal prom and a normal graduation. Normal is not a drive-through graduation. Normal is not a virtual graduation. Normal is not a photo-op alone, receiving the diploma we have all worked so hard for. Normal is all being together in one graduation ceremony, not in our cars or living rooms, but at York.

“Normal is being together where we belong at the sanctuary we call York High School for four amazing years.”