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TooBig
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Students Prevail: Michelle Obama Re-schedules
By Associated Press April 24, 2014 12:12 pm
michelle_seriousMichelle Obama is rearranging plans for a speech before graduating high school seniors in Topeka, Kan., in the face of protests that her appearance at a combined graduation ceremony for five schools would limit seating for families and friends.
She had accepted the district's invitation to speak May 17 at the combined ceremony to mark that day's 60th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, outlawing school segregation. The case originated in Topeka.
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.
Since Mrs. Obama will no longer speak at a graduation, seating would not need to be limited due to concerns over her security.
The first lady's communications director, Maria Cristina Gonzalez Noguera, said Mrs. Obama wants everyone to have the opportunity to attend a graduation ceremony.
"Once we learned about the concerns of some students, we were eager to find a solution that enabled all of the students and their families to celebrate the special day," the spokeswoman said Thursday.
Eighteen-year-old Taylor Gifford had launched an online petition urging the school district to reconsider its plans. Gifford and the more than 1,200 people who had signed it expressed concern that Mrs. Obama's visit would limit guest seating.
The first lady's office announced the compromise while President Barack Obama was traveling in Asia.
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By Associated Press April 24, 2014 12:12 pm
michelle_seriousMichelle Obama is rearranging plans for a speech before graduating high school seniors in Topeka, Kan., in the face of protests that her appearance at a combined graduation ceremony for five schools would limit seating for families and friends.
She had accepted the district's invitation to speak May 17 at the combined ceremony to mark that day's 60th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, outlawing school segregation. The case originated in Topeka.
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.
Since Mrs. Obama will no longer speak at a graduation, seating would not need to be limited due to concerns over her security.
The first lady's communications director, Maria Cristina Gonzalez Noguera, said Mrs. Obama wants everyone to have the opportunity to attend a graduation ceremony.
"Once we learned about the concerns of some students, we were eager to find a solution that enabled all of the students and their families to celebrate the special day," the spokeswoman said Thursday.
Eighteen-year-old Taylor Gifford had launched an online petition urging the school district to reconsider its plans. Gifford and the more than 1,200 people who had signed it expressed concern that Mrs. Obama's visit would limit guest seating.
The first lady's office announced the compromise while President Barack Obama was traveling in Asia.
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Comments
It is a crying shame they did not to think about the concerns of the students before they had to "learn" about them.
It sure was nice that they were able to find a solution. [;)]
I would not expect her to know the ins and outs of what the security requirements would entail. That is the job of the Secret Service detail.
Despite me not liking her or him, they are parents of teenagers and hopefully thought about how the families and friends would feel being left out on that day and the kids not getting to walk the stage. Or perhaps they knew it was a good PR stunt to move to a different day.