Behold: The Only Senior Portrait That Doesn’t Suck

Ah, picture day. It’s coming up fast for a lot of schools, and a ton of people on my facebook feed have already sent their kids out in clip on bow ties and gigantic hair bows for their own photo seshes. I’m sure I’ll be seeing all of those awkward portraits soon enough, but none of them matter. Nothing matters anymore, except for this picture of Draven Rodriguez and his cat, Mr. Bigglesworth, a portrait Rodriguez had hoped to use as his senior photo this year. Here it is, in all it’s glory:

bigglesworth-the-cat

According to the Daily Gazette, Draven is a senior at Schenectady High School in New York, and just wants to stand out.

”I don’t want to go in the yearbook with the generic ”˜I-look-like-everyone-else’ photo,” he said. ”I wanted a ”˜He looks great. Only he would try that’ photo.”

”When people look at it,” the 16- turning 17-year-old added Wednesday, ”they will know that was me.”

Hey, I can dig it. I hate school picture time. I hated it when I was a child, I hated it as a senior in high school, and I hate it now. School pictures are boring and doofy and while I’ll be glad to have a visual chronological timeline of my kid’s growth and the way she’ll change in her school years, I will never, ever buy more than the most basic package of wallets. No child wants their awkward school portraits hanging up on the wall.

Of course, if they would bring back the laser background that Draven makes such spectacular use of in his portrait, I might change my tune. Why did they take those away in the first place? He actually had his done with a professional photographer, Trinacria Photography, so no boring slate gray backgrounds for him.

Unfortunately, he may not get to use the portrait as his senior snapshot.

When asked about the portrait by The Daily Gazette, school district spokeswoman Karen Corona said that, yes, it can go in the yearbook, but, no, it can’t appear in the senior portrait section.

”That will not appear in the portrait section,” she said, stating photos there must adhere to certain uniformity. ”There are other places in the yearbook where those photos can be placed.

”It doesn’t mean the photo won’t be in the yearbook. It just means it won’t be in the section where the more professional photos are.”

Aw, boo. But don’t be too sad. Cementing a permanent spot in my heart as my new, awkward-sauce hero, Draven has a backup. It’s him in the same suit and tie with a Mr. Bigglesworth lapel pin.

I can understand the school’s sentiment. Not to go all slippery slope or anything, but I can see this opening the door to senior photos gone horribly awry. Plus, Draven doesn’t seem to mind at all, expressing that he “could work with” the school’s yearbook policy:

”I’m not trying to make any statement,” he said, ”other than my photo is ridiculous and this is how I am.”

You be you, Draven. You be you.

(Image: Twitter)

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