Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/06/17/valedictorian-ruthlessly-rips.html
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Rubio feels cross, or even double-crossed?
Oh, poor him. Alea iacta est, [ strong expletive ].
That student had one moment wielding the power of publicity, and used it. Should be encouraged, not minimised.
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Weird. From the loud cheering I thought they were celebrating.
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“The speech Buhr delivered was not the one she submitted for approval before graduation, Rubio added.”
No shit.
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If you don’t want a student burn your ass on a public forum, maybe you should be more concerned with the behavior of your employees.
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I read this last week. Left out of the BB write-up is that the student did thank the teachers that were there for her and helped her, then takes the time to put the rest of the school’s staff on blast for missing out on scheduled appointments, showing up to class drunk, etc.
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He can console himself by looking at Hong Kong and thinking “thank God that’s not us”.
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Nataly Buhr called out her guidance counselor for leaving her to “fend for herself,” the school’s office staff for their “negligence,”
Those of us over age 45 had better get used to hearing this kind of thing in general from people of Ms. Buhr’s age.
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Give me a break. If she had tried to report/rectify the problems in her school while she was a student, she almost certainly would have been on the receiving end of massive retaliation.
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1000 kudos to her. I wish I’d had the nerve 50 years ago to do the same thing.
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Ultimately this takes away from what should have been a day of celebration for the school and their community.
yeah. because how dare we speak the truth about shitty adults doing shitty things. No no. Let’s just all shut out mouths and wait for some unnamed point in time to come along to discuss the abject failure of adults to care for kids.
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Punk rock as effff. Way to make those 12 years of life really count.
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counter that with:
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I was hoping that they did thank the teachers who did their job. For me, that makes the take down even better. Others have said this, but if you don’t want to be embarrassed when your actions and behaviors get called out then don’t let your actions and behaviors be awful. It’s a pretty simple equation.
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Yup. Makes me think of the African-American student at Sidwell Friends who somehow, despite high grades and achievements and being at a school that boasts 100% college acceptance, didn’t get accepted anywhere. I’m sure the fact that she only applied to the hardest 13 schools to get into didn’t help, but the fact that she DID bring complaints to the proper channels while still a student had to have factored in significantly.
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I so get it. In my school(s), if you weren’t an athlete, you were a waste of time, that is, right up until you’re about to become an alumni. Once that happens, then it’s all, “we’re here to help if you ever need anything.”
That would have been my speech if it were me.
“All in all you’re just another brick in the wall…”
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If this sort of ambush speech happens more often, I bet schools will look at ways to limit shaming opportunities - like having everything recorded on video beforehand.
I do think the shade thrown at the alcoholic teacher wasn’t too cool… maybe rip the school for not helping the employee.
Of course, the shit will get real next time a student calls out a staff sexual abuser.
Which all leads to the potential for a student to make a slanderous comment in a public forum, student gets sued, school gets sued for providing the student with the means/opportunity to make the statement (free speech? open mic gripe night? criminal incitement?)
Interesting just how much jeopardy can be caused by simply giving youth a voice.
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“We think that the student’s speech was inappropriate and out of line,” Rubio said in an email Tuesday.
I’ll bet you do. How dare she make administrative malfeasance public! How dare she say anything about the things that people like them have been keeping quiet. I’m sympathetic to people who have jobs they hate, I’m understanding of, and urge people with substance abuse problems to get help rather than blindly condemning them, but this is a school. These are children, and adults who have been charged and entrusted with making sure those children succeed. What this student did was the right thing to do. If the people holding those jobs now can’t be bothered to care enough to do their jobs, they should be doing other jobs. This is one of those cases where it’s absolutely necessary.
Buhr is not the first valedictorian to shake up a graduation ceremony with a controversial speech.
When a Texas high school valedictorian began to list the names of black teens who were shot by police, the principal cut her microphone feed. A tweet of the incident captured on video went viral early this month. The school has since issued an apology.
Around the same time, two Detroit seniors criticized their school for employing “unqualified teachers” and committing “unlawful acts.” One of the students was allowed to finish her speech. The other had her microphone cut.
In 2017, a Pennsylvania valedictorian used his speech to point out the lack of power students have and said “the authoritative attitude that a few teachers, administrators and board members have, prevents students from truly developing as leaders.” His mic was cut before he could finish his speech.
Turns out the kids might be alright after all.
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She should have picked up the mic, held it out, and dropped that thing on the ground. Bravo.
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“Why can’t you criticize my many inadequacies on my terms?!? How rude!”
My heart bleeds.
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