Some Topeka area high school students don't want First Lady at their graduation

Plot Device · Apr 19, 2014

This is a hard one. The plan is a joint graduation ceremony between 5 local high schools in an 8,000 seat auditorium. But because the First Lady has such a large entourage, and because there will be security needs as far as making some seats remain empty, there might not be enough seats for all family members of students if she comes.

So now one student has launched a petition asking that she not come, and it has gotten 1,200 signatures so far.

http://news.yahoo.com/kansas-speech-michelle-obama-draws-complaints-144546090.html

Kansas speech by Michelle Obama draws complaints

by JOHN MILBURN -- Associated Press -- April 18, 2014

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — If expanding the guest list to include Michelle Obama at graduation for high school students in the Kansas capital city means fewer seats for friends and family, some students and their parents would prefer the first lady not attend.

A furor over what the Topeka school district considers an honor has erupted after plans were announced for Obama to address a combined graduation ceremony for five area high schools next month an 8,000-seat arena. For some, it was the prospect of a tight limit on the number of seats allotted to each graduate. For others, it was the notion that Obama's speech, tied to the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education outlawing segregation in schools, would overshadow the student's big day....

... That's not good enough for Taylor Gifford, 18, who started an online petition Thursday evening to urge the district to reconsider its plans. She and the more than 1,200 people who had signed it expressed concern that Obama's visit would limit the seating options for family and friends.

"I really would like it to have a peaceful solution, but there is so much misinformation going on," Gifford said.

Cyia · Apr 19, 2014

That's a far kinder, and more sensible reason than I was expecting when I clicked on this thread.

I feel sorry for the students. Graduation is their day - not a photo op. Maybe they could do a remote presentation, where the First Lady could do her speech via satellite, so her security situation wouldn't be an issue.

Don · Apr 19, 2014

What Cyia said.

Also, NB4 "Taylor's obviously a racist."

William Haskins · Apr 19, 2014

Cyia said:
Maybe they could do a remote presentation, where the First Lady could do her speech via satellite, so her security situation wouldn't be an issue.

this is an excellent idea - for both the students and the taxpayers.

Don · Apr 19, 2014

Cyia said:
That's a far kinder, and more sensible reason than I was expecting when I clicked on this thread.

Me too.

I figured it was because she screwed up their lunches.

1M kids stop school lunch due to Michelle Obama’s standards

New school lunch standards implemented as a result of First Lady Michelle Obama’s anti-obesity campaign have led to more than 1 million children leaving the lunch line, according to a new report.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a wide-ranging audit of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act nutrition standards last week, finding 48 out of 50 states faced challenges complying with Mrs. Obama’s Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act.

The new standards led to kids throwing out their fruits and vegetables, student boycotts, higher lunch costs, and odd food pairings such as “cheese stick with shrimp” in order for schools to comply with the complicated rules.

kuwisdelu · Apr 19, 2014

The new standards led to kids throwing out their fruits and vegetables

Darn that Michelle, wasting fruits and vegetables like that.

kuwisdelu · Apr 19, 2014

I hope they can figure out a solution so everyone can get what they want.

Don · Apr 19, 2014

kuwisdelu said:
Darn that Michelle, wasting fruits and vegetables like that.

Maybe they should tie those kids down and force-feed them. It's for their own good, after all.

kuwisdelu said:
I hope they can figure out a solution so everyone can get what they want.

I hope they can figure out a solution so that the kids and parents can get what they want and deserve. Nobody else counts in this, IMO.

Zoombie · Apr 19, 2014

That's a perfectly legitimate reason to not want someone to show up.

I like the satellite uplink idea. Not only does it sound handy, it also lets people say, "satellite uplink" a few times at graduate.

kuwisdelu · Apr 19, 2014

Don said:
Maybe they should tie those kids down and force-feed them. It's for their own good, after all.

Huh?

I hope they can figure out a solution so that the kids and parents can get what they want

Yes, that's what I meant by "everyone".

benbradley · Apr 19, 2014

kuwisdelu said:
Huh?

Don keeps forgetting this thing. :sarcasm

nighttimer · Apr 19, 2014

Wah!

benbradley said:
Don keeps forgetting this thing.

That's because he isn't being sarcastic. He means every word he says.

As far as those folks in Topeka are concerned, let 'em invite Sarah Palin or some other loser with a lot of free time on their hands, but they'll have to hold a few bake sales and car washes to afford her speaking fee.

Good fucking luck. And I'm not being sarcastic either. I mean every word too.

ShaunHorton · Apr 19, 2014

While it would be an honor to have the First Lady speak at your graduation (Depending on which way you lean, of course.), the day is for the students and their families. If her presence can't be accommodated without taking away from them, then it would probably be better for all involved to not have her.

regdog · Apr 19, 2014

I'm with the kids. It isn't about politics or the Obamas. It's about the kids being able to have their families with them on their graduation.

When I graduated we had the largest class in the school's history and since the graduation was in the auditorium, tickets were limited. All of us had to pick and chose which family members got to go. For those with larger and close knit families it was tough.

One nice thing was those with small families or just one or two people going gave their tickets to other kids.

frimble3 · Apr 19, 2014

I thought the whole 'big name speaker' was a college/university thing, now it's down to the high-school level?
Is it meaningful for the students, or just something for the administration to boast about? It's about the students and their families, all the seats, space and attention should be on them.
And, I doubt any speech that a national figure gives will be about the local kids. It's going to be written for the press and the wider audience.

Prozyan · Apr 24, 2014

Wow, imagine that. Everyone talks things out and they are able to come up with an alternative plan that makes everyone happy:

Michelle Obama visit changed to day before graduation

shakeysix · Apr 24, 2014

About those lunches--- I just watched four high school students consume 2 bags of Funyuns, 2 peanut butter and jelly Uncrustables, God knows how many Slim Jims, a packet of Trail Mix and a huge grocery store bag of Flaming Hot Cheetohs. They washed this feast down with orange juice, Gatorade and chocolate milk. No soda pop because our school, under the Nazi-esque rule of jackbooted Mrs. Obama, has removed candy and soda vending machines. Only healthy snacks here.

Now this was sixth hour Spanish Two. We had a quiz. Everyone aced it. For celebration I allowed them to go to the vending machines. I usually don't but they begged because they had such a paltry lunch--chicken noodle soup, celery and peanut butter, apples, crackers and salad. They were starving. When I marveled at the amount of vittles they were putting away, they told me that because it rained so hard this morning, track practice has been cancelled so they don't have to worry about throwing up.

Don't worry about the kids. They will survive even this hardship--s6

kuwisdelu · Apr 24, 2014

Prozyan said:
Wow, imagine that. Everyone talks things out and they are able to come up with an alternative plan that makes everyone happy:

Michelle Obama visit changed to day before graduation

Cool!

Under a new plan worked out by the district, the first lady will speak on May 16 at a "senior recognition day" ceremony at the same 8,000-seat arena where the combined ceremony was to be held. The combined ceremony is being scrapped, and the five schools will hold separate graduation exercises instead.

The compromise, announced while President Barack Obama was traveling in Asia, pleased Topeka students and parents who were concerned about being limited to six tickets for family members and the first lady's remarks taking away from the occasion.

"That's awesome. I'm ecstatic," said Tina Hernandez, mother of Topeka High senior Dauby Knight. "It works out for everybody. That makes me more excited for her to come."

Vito · Apr 24, 2014

I wouldn't have wanted Rosalynn Carter anywhere near my high school graduation ceremony in 1980, so I'm guessing that at least a few of this year's graduating seniors don't put a high priority on allowing Michelle Obama to attend the big show.

Things we need at a high school graduation ceremony: Beach balls, frisbees, a discrete puff of reefer, a hushed sip of beer, and a few hundred mortarboards that are ready to blast off!

Things we don't need at a high school graduation ceremony: A politician's middle-aged wife.

:Lecture:

Myrealana · Apr 25, 2014

ShaunHorton said:
While it would be an honor to have the First Lady speak at your graduation (Depending on which way you lean, of course.), the day is for the students and their families. If her presence can't be accommodated without taking away from them, then it would probably be better for all involved to not have her.

I agree. The school needs to remember who the day is about. It is far more important in the long run that Aunt Millie and Grandpa have seats at the graduation than the speaker's security and entourage.

At my son's graduation, seating was already limited, and I had to exclude some people who deserved to be there. If the list had to be further restricted because they chose a speaker with unreasonable requirements, I would have been very unhappy.

Celia Cyanide · Apr 25, 2014

benbradley said:
Don keeps forgetting this thing.

Knowing he is being sarcastic doesn't really explain his point any better.

Alpha Echo · Apr 25, 2014

The kids were upset about being limited to 6 tickets? Jeez. During my high school graduation, I believe we only got 6 tickets. Graduation was held in our gym, so all we had were the bleachers for our guests. I thought 6 was kind of the norm.

You celebrate later with a big party for the family. That's what I did. We rented a pavilion in a park and invited our huge family and lots of friends. Worked out just fine.

FlaDan · Apr 25, 2014

Something tells me this was really about some School Administrator trying to gain brownie points. They were probably hoping for a picture with her for setting it up and then having bragging rights for doing it.

Lyv · Apr 25, 2014

Alpha Echo said:
The kids were upset about being limited to 6 tickets? Jeez. During my high school graduation, I believe we only got 6 tickets. Graduation was held in our gym, so all we had were the bleachers for our guests. I thought 6 was kind of the norm.

You celebrate later with a big party for the family. That's what I did. We rented a pavilion in a park and invited our huge family and lots of friends. Worked out just fine.

I was just thinking back to my graduation and that of my older sisters and my friends who went to other schools. I never even heard of six. Four was what I recall. I didn't even go to one sister's graduation, because my parents and older sister went and I knew she wanted her boyfriend there, so I offered to give up my seat.

And not many kids had family fly in. I remember one of my friends being upset that some aunt or grandparent had flown in, so she had to have dinner after the ceremony with family instead of going straight out with all of us. We went from party to party, then my friends dropped me off at home in the morning and my family had a celebratory breakfast (frankly, was the last thing I wanted was to look at or smell food, ahem).

I'm glad it worked out with the First Lady.

Myrealana · Apr 25, 2014

Alpha Echo said:
The kids were upset about being limited to 6 tickets? Jeez. During my high school graduation, I believe we only got 6 tickets. Graduation was held in our gym, so all we had were the bleachers for our guests. I thought 6 was kind of the norm.

That might be fine if it's the norm for your school.

But if your brother graduating the year before had twice as many tickets, or no limit, and you are limited to 6 strictly because of the choice of guest speaker, it certainly sounds unreasonable.

I'm glad the schools listened and found a way to work things out.

Some Topeka area high school students don't want First Lady at their graduation

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