Because This is Such a ‘Newsworthy’ Story …

This story — STORY! — actually was front page “worthy” on Philly.com this morning. I’m not kidding.

Draven Rodriguez, a senior at Schenectady High School in upstate New York is petitioning his school to allow him to use his unique cat-and-laser photo as his senior yearbook portrait.

“I don’t want to go in the yearbook with the generic ‘I-look-like-everyone-else’ photo,” Rodriguez told the Daily Gazette. “I wanted a ‘He looks great. Only he would try that’ photo.” Rather than a classic and “generic” senior portrait, the 16-year-old is submitting a photo that features both himself and his beloved cat, Mr. Bigglesworth.

His petition reads:

Hi all. This is my photo that should be going into the yearbook, but we know how finicky the school systems can be. I’m hoping that with enough signatures, my school simply can’t turn this down.

The article goes on to note that Rodriguez’s goal was to get around 500 signatures; however, due to the … national media attention he’s now received almost 3,600.

Geez, now why didn’t I petition to have my senior portrait taken with the Six Million Dollar Man action figure I got as a Christmas present eight years prior?

Glad to know all is a-ok in the world of education these days …

Read the full “story” here.

UPDATE: Here’s a screencap of the pic Mr. Rodriguez wants in the yearbook: