Whether issues are related to politics, communities, or schools, petitions have become more prevalent in today’s society. However, the impacts of them are highly debated.

The Obama Administration has allowed Americans to directly petition the White House. By following simple online steps, anyone can start a petition in attempt to receive a response from the White House.

“My administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in government,” President Barack Obama said in a memo on transparency and open government. “We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation and collaboration.”

However, with such openness inevitably comes an “unlimited” possibility for petitions.

The White House made a decision, under the “We the People” initiative, that anyone can petition the White House on any matter, and if a petition gains 25,000 signatures, the Obama administration has to respond.

 Because of nonissues being petitioned, the White House altered the requirements to 100,000 signatures in order to receive a response from the Obama Administration.

This increased benchmark was a result of petitions such as a request to build the DS-1 Orbital Battle Station, commonly known as the Death Star from Star Wars Episode IV, which drew over 34,000 signatures.

“The administration does not support blowing up planets,” the official White House statement read. “Why would we spend countless taxpayer dollars on a Death Star with a fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship?”

High school students have petitioned a large range of ideas such as getting faculty members back, or fired, as well as smaller issues such as outdoor lunches, or longer time between classes.

“Students have a lot more freedoms than they think they do,” government teacher Charissa West said. “However, many students petition for things the school cannot legally give them. Certain petitions are too dangerous to enact on such as having lunch outside.”

Certain petitions do not have any effect on the outcome of a decision being made, but nonetheless have a significant impact on those involved.

Junior Marcus Campbell began a petition to keep junior Logan Nasr, who was facing possible expulsion, at school.

“Logan is an important part of our school and especially our class,” read the petition, signed by 288 students. “He is being unfairly punished. What he contributes to the school outweighs his wrongdoings.”

Nasr reacted positively to the support of his fellow classmates as they petitioned to keep him at the school.

“The petitions didn’t help me get out of trouble,” Nasr said. “However, they raised awareness and helped kill the rumors going around. When people read the petition they knew what was happening.”

Nasr had to appeal to a board of directors to decide the outcome of his punishment. The board did not see the petitions or letters sent in by students, but gave Nasr a confidence.

“Mr. Walker received around 300 letters,” Nasr said. “Knowing how much support I had helped a lot.”

Some, although many petitions prove to be ineffective, certain high school petitions can make an impact.

According to Kurt Greenbaum of the Kirkwood Patch, a junior in Montana got iPads banned at her high school after petitioning a tablet program the school board approved the week before.

The board decided to spend less money and get a more generic kind of tablet.

“I think any time students feel passionate about anything that pertains to them, whether it’s in their classroom or school or community, it’s important that they find the means to express that, to productively voice those concerns,” Kirkwood high school assistant principal Michael Gavin said in a

Kirkwood patch interview.

At South Lakes, students are following this advice and circulating their own petitions attempting to create change in areas they are passionate about.

Senior Sydney Seed created a petition to hold this year’s graduation outdoors.

“We the Class of 2013 petition hold that the graduation ceremony should take place outside on the stadium,” the petition states. “Four tickets are not sufficient for this important milestone in our life. It would be more sufficient to hold it outdoors and allow for more attendance.”

Of the 575 students in the senior class, sixty percent signed the petition. However, the petition was ineffective. Graduation cannot be held outside on the field due to construction for the soon to be turf field.

Though many petitions are not always “effective,” they are nevertheless a display of one’s right.

“I think that it was a beneficial experience for me just being active and pursuing something that I was passionate about,” Seed said. “I’m very passionate about constitutional rights and it felt good to exercise them.”