I'm Too Popular for My Graduation

This recent letter to the editor in the Albuquerque Journal illustrates, once again, the thoughtless and meanspirited tone that dominates every letter or op-ed piece that rushes to the defense of RRPS:

THE GRADUATING class in Rio Rancho has taken on the appearance of a popularity contest, in which the one with the most "invitations" is the winner.
I've always thought that announcements were sent out to the families, not invitations to a family of 30 to 50 relatives. When a group of people gather together to celebrate an occasion in New Mexico, it seems there is always a fight, a stabbing or a shooting.
This is a Rio Rancho school graduation, not a game for the Albuquerque Pit. The TV interviews with people who have issued "invitations" to everyone they consider "family" shows more than normal arrogance on their part.
One person said she sent out "invitations" to 50 people, some out of state or out of country, but the school board only allows eight people per student, and she is incensed that such a paltry limit was put into place.
A graduation? Not really, just an event to show who has the largest amount of friends and family participation.
The Santa Ana Star Center will hold the graduation ceremonies, which is in Rio Rancho, not Albuquerque.
BOB HARPLEY
Rio Rancho

Okay, let's review:

• Announcements of the date, time, and, if you're lucky, the correct location of an event, should never be mistaken for an invitation to come to the event. Especially if your family adds up to 9 or more.

• "When a group of people gather together to celebrate an occasion in New Mexico, it seems there is always a fight, a stabbing or a shooting." Is that how Bob Harpley's get-togethers end up? Or did he really mean to say when a "group of Mexicans" gets together "there is always a fight, a stabbing or a shooting?"

• "Popularity" is when your family wants to attend your graduation. Too much popularity is when your family is larger than the number RRPS thinks is just the right amount of family.
  

What the...?!?

Political cartoons exist to attack the system, speak truth to power, skewer the Man. The cartoon above barely begins to address the situation between the buffoons at RRPS and the Rio Rancho High School families who have been cheated out of seeing their seniors graduate. The pomp and circumstance they expected has turned into smoke and mirrors thanks to RRPS.

Rubbing salt in the wound is the condescending dismissal of valid protest and real grievances by editors at the Rio Rancho Observer, who weigh in with a nasty editorial that may as well have said: "Sit down and shut up."

Graduation at The Star is the right decision

We said it in this space last month and it still holds true this month: It would be a reasonably safe argument that when someone (parents with students in Rio Rancho Public Schools) isn't happy with something someone else (the Rio Rancho Public Schools Board of Education) is doing, then they (the school board) must be doing something right.

And RRPS made the right decision when it voted unanimously in March to move graduation ceremonies from The Pit in Albuquerque to the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho.

Now that the city has a sparkling new jewel of an establishment where it can hold such an important local event, that's exactly how and where it should be.

People of this city and parents of children in the school district should be honored to have such a quality venue to now hold graduation ceremonies. It sure beats the dark and dingy Pit or putting folding chairs on the football field and praying that it doesn't rain.

And to the few who think that the world will come to an end because their cousins twice removed can't attend the graduation ceremonies because the venue is too small, we have this to say: Get over it and move on to something else.

Want to complain about Rio Rancho Public Schools? How about complaining over something that impacts education. Namely why the school has a difficult time meeting AYP, which determines which schools are "failing" and which ones aren't, per the federal No Child Left Behind mandate.

That's a reason to complain.

Additionally, school officials are most certainly doing everything they can to accommodate graduates and their families. First, the number of tickets to graduation has gone from six tickets to eight. Second, RioVision has agreed to air ceremonies on channel 15, with one caveat: You have to subscribe to CableOne. Also, school officials will route a feed to the Performing Arts Center, where guests of the graduates can also view the ceremony.

Santa Ana Star Center is also working to help graduating seniors as some suite holders are allowing controlled access to their seats. That could mean up to an additional 700 seats.

All benefits.

When you get right down to it, RRPS doesn't have to make any concessions as it relates to graduation. Basically you get what's available, like it or not.

To the graduates and their families who believe that graduation will be "completely ruined" because the ceremonies have been moved, life - the day after May 19 - will go on.

Granted most people (as evident here) don't like change - especially when it happens to them. A different mind set is needed. As the Cheryl Crow song says, "A change will do you good."

Finally, one ranter said it best. "It's obvious some of the Class of 2007 are ill-prepared for life's challenges. Some things in life aren't fair to some. You need to learn to be flexible and make the best of it. Or you'll be miserable the rest of your life."

It is not only obvious, but glaring. Embarrassingly glaring.

Accept now that life doesn't always go as planned - no matter how much time and effort you put into something. Accept that there will be ups and downs, heartaches and disappointments. It's only just beginning.

Accept that life is difficult and if the worst thing to ever happen to you in life is that your favorite cousin can't attend your high school graduation, consider yourself lucky.

Extremely lucky.

Copyright © 2007 Rio Rancho Observer

No reference to the fact that the decision to move the graduation out of The Pit and into Rio Rancho's Santa Ana Star Center was given to seniors a mere 2 months before the graduation.

People of this city and parents of children in the school district should be honored to have such a quality venue to now hold graduation ceremonies.

No matter that families had ordered announcements, invited loved ones, and made plans. No skin off the Observer's nose.

"It's obvious some of the Class of 2007 are ill-prepared for life's challenges. Some things in life aren't fair to some. You need to learn to be flexible and make the best of it. Or you'll be miserable the rest of your life.

Okay, wait a minute...the saying goes like this: Some things in life aren't fair. PERIOD. Notice the Observer's "ranter" added a little something:

"Some things in life aren't fair to some."

Are some people able to skip the school of hard knocks and remain inflexible? Who are those people and how can the Observer discern that those complaining about the graduation are not among this blessed group? Maybe the Observer can let the rest of us know so we can "move on to something else."

Two Faces Have I

Apparently, the Rio Rancho Observer has a history of playing nice with RRPS. Diane Velasco, executive director of The Citizen Media Group, was an up and coming journalist when she crossed paths with the Observer:

She went to work for Publisher Mike Ryan at the Rio Rancho Observer. As managing editor, and using her business education, she turned a 3 percent loss into a 17 percent profit after only two months on the job.

She did a series of investigative reports on the Rio Rancho School District and exposed 19 fire code violations in the newly built high school, funded by Intel. She also reported that a high school teacher had raped six students and one teacher.

Velasco infuriated school officials to the point they insisted that any question she had must be forwarded in writing. Her publisher thought it was OK for school officials to make such a request.

She then became involved in a First Amendment battle with the assistance of Bob Johnson of the Federation for Open Government and Attorney Bill Dixon.

On three occasions, Ryan turned over Velasco’s interview notes to citizens and to “the fat cat millionaires, Don Chalmers and others,” Velasco said. That she said destroyed the trust that reporters have to develop with sources, especially when the issues are about the sources’ bosses.

Emphasis mine.

Notice any familiar names in this story? Does the name Mike Ryan ring a bell? Could that be the same Mike Ryan of the Albuquerque Journal's Graduation Gripes? Get Over It fame? (see post below) Well slap my ass, and call me Fannie!

Good old Mike Ryan and his old fashioned "Common Sense."

Good old "doesn't bite the hand that feeds you" Mike Ryan.

Follow the money, my friend. Follow Mike Ryan and the money.

A thousand thanks to M. G. Bralley over at What's Wrong With This Picture? for the link, the tip, and the wisdom. You will be added to our blogroll just as soon as we get one.

April Fools

Well, the trolls are out in force today over at Back to The Pit. And, of all things, they're there to defend the tacky April Fool's Day joke the Observer hatched over the weekend. No surprise there...after all, it is their patron saint's day.

One comment defends the paper this way:

retired reporter said...

How does the Observer know that you want them to do a story? Have you called them, or are you just expecting them to respond to your calls to the TV stations? No need to send a reporter, they are allowing you the space to tell your own story in letters and comments.

Um...real newspapers actually go out and find the news. The news doesn't have to come looking for a reporter. And, hasn't the Observer already received letters and emails concerning this story? KOAT has done three newscasts on it. Is the paper waiting for someone to say pretty please?

It's interesting, and quite revealing, that the Observer's first front page news article about the Rio Rancho High School graduation ceremony being hijacked by the school administration, is not serious coverage, but a lame joke. That's exactly how they see this situation: as a joke.

Yvette Aragon may have to drive over to the Observer's offices and stand outside holding something shiny to get their attention.