It’s a rite of passage at Malvern Collegiate Institute for the Grade 11 and 12 drama students to write their names on the walls of the dressing room and backstage, respectively. Students are unsure exactly how long the tradition has been going on, but some say it dates back to the ’80s.

Now over 900 students, grads, and interested parties are petitioning to save the wall amid a school board plan to remove what they call “offensive comments” from the space.

“Being able to write your name on the wall means the world to them,” said Ben Loughton, a first year student at Wilfrid Laurier University who graduated from the Upper Beach high school last year.

“Later on you’re able to come back and see what you’ve done (and say) ‘I remember when I wrote this, I remember why,’ ” he said.

The dressing room was locked last Thursday after Malvern’s new principal, Bernadette Shaw, noticed the comments, a spokesperson from the school board told the Star.

Students reported that painters were scheduled to come to the school Friday, but were sent away due to the uproar among the drama participants.

Student body president Sebastian Scoular-Stajic says the students and administration are now at a standstill: no painting has been completed, but drama students are still locked out of the room.

Shaw is now planning on meeting with the students to discuss their concerns.

Ryan Bird, spokesperson for the Toronto District School Board, said the drama wall is “a year-book of sorts,” that includes “a number of offensive comments among the hundreds on the wall.”

“With that in mind, the room has been locked and the Principal will be working with students to determine next steps,” he said. “Whatever they may be, all offensive comments will be removed from the wall.”

Students say the administration is unfairly “clamping down” on the drama department, noting that it’s common for student athletes to use profanity, and that nothing on the drama wall was particularly egregious.

Loughton said he’s aware “not all of the tone is clean” on the wall, at least “not all at TDSB standard,” but said that’s because many of the messages are quotations from the plays they’ve performed.

Scoular-Stajic said students don’t want those comments removed because many are from plays they wrote themselves. “It is our voice on stage and this allows students to see the success offstage,” he said.

Contrary to the school board’s concerns, Loughton said the drama dressing room is a supportive, safe atmosphere where students find a place they belong.

“There’s always someone who is willing to talk,” he said. “It’s a better support system than the guidance system at the school.”

Bird declined to give examples, but said it was clear not all the offensive messages were quotations from plays.

The neighbourhood around Malvern was quick to throw support behind the students’ efforts to preserve the wall.

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Hundreds who signed their online petition noted the historical value of the wall, with many offering anecdotes about their own memories signing it.

One signer, Wesley Dolphin, identified himself as Malvern’s former head caretaker for 13 years.

“I have witnessed the heartfelt dedication and commitment of the drama students at Malvern CI, painting over this wall would show complete disregard for the students contribution and dedication,” Dolphin wrote on the petition page.