High School Teen Demands Senior Yearbook Portrait With Cats And Lasers [Photo]

Every year we see a special yearbook photo that just goes the extra mile. Whether it’s the quote below the actual picture or just a really awkward photo, yearbook photos have wound up going viral or turning into a hilarious meme.

Finally we can officially say that, this year, we’ve found the best photo. We didn’t have to scour the internet because it has already gone viral thanks to one clever high schooler from Schenectady, New York.

16-year-old Draven Rodriguez told The Daily Gazette of his petition that he started in order for him to pose with his cat Mr. Bigglesworth and lasers as a backdrop. Think back to those marvelous 80s photos, and that’s what Draven is trying to go for. At the end of the day, the clever student just wants to be remembered for his spiffy photo.

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

Draven Rodriguez for president! http://t.co/zEFPYzeUY3 HT @DulcePicoso pic.twitter.com/NT2cmkbr3l

— T.J. (@tjdegroat) September 12, 2014

That said, it’s unclear if his high school will be supporting his demand to pose with his cat. A spokeswoman for the school district, Karen Corona said, “That will not appear in the portrait section.” She continued, “[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.”

In an effort to convince school officials or just to show off his lovely cat, Rodriguez posed with his cute cat in a mock photo without the lasers.

At the time he captioned the photo with, “Just a teaser on what’s to come with my #senior #portraits #cats, #lasers and #awkward faces.”

Should Draven give up on his high school portrait wish? Not just yet. Another spokesperson for the Niskayuna Central School District had this to say about the specifications of a high school portrait.

“There are no specific guidelines, but 99.9 percent of the time there are professional-type head shots. You do need to consider the consistency and decorum of the section.”

After the photo went viral, Rodriguez wrote a small note to clarify his intent and the school’s position.

“To clarify, the school HAS NOT YET DECLINED this photo. This is my pre-emptive strike just in case such a thing were to happen. I wanted as many backers as possible before the deadline of September 15th.”

Hopefully Draven will get his wish.

[Images via dravenrodriguez / Instagram]