Rangeviews new approach to the annual lettering ceremony was successful despite initial concerns. For the past forty years the celebration has always taken place after school so friends and family can attend. This year Rangeview administration decided to take a new approach to the ceremony leaving students with many questions.
On September 12th, an email was sent out to address the new changes regarding the lettering ceremony. Administrator Caleb Tucker stated in an email “Due to low attendance in years past, it is just too costly to keep it after school.”
To gain greater insight into what the true reasoning behind the switch consisted of, Principal Lisa Grosz pointed out that one of the significant reasons behind the switch is that the administration wanted to increase attendance rates at the event, to recognize as many students as possible. Grosz stated, “With many students juggling job and sports schedules attending the ceremony has become difficult for students in years past.” This brief explanation was beneficial in understanding the true intentions behind the switch, emphasizing how utilizing costs as an explanation for the switch was not an accurate statement.
The ceremony was very successful and ended up becoming one the most attended ceremonies in a multitude of years. The event took place in the auditorium and contained alphabetical seating arrangements. The awards distributed were an assortment of AP honors awards as well as academic lettering awards. Following the ceremony students were then invited to the main entrance to enjoy refreshments and conversation with their fellow peers.
Although an abundance of students were skeptical regarding the ceremony taking place during the school day, the increase in attendance has demonstrated that the change was an effective action, allowing an outstanding number of students to be recognized. When following up with Principal Grosz she provided statistics exclusively to the Raider Review, the data showcased that the no-show rate in the previous 2023-2024 school year was 52% whereas the no-show rate this school year ended up being a lackluster 17%.
Positive outlooks on the ceremony changes have become a buzzing conversation around the school. Senior Camilla Blanco shared with the Raider Review that she “valued having the opportunity to support friends at the ceremony.” Continuing to expand on how she knew “If it was held after school the turnout would not have been as good.”
Although the turnout increased significantly, there was an essential aspect of the ceremony that had not been officially addressed by administration. At any appreciation ceremony hosted by Rangeview High School, it has become a standard for parents and guardians to have the ability to attend. Unfortunately, this school year parents were not granted access to physically attend the ceremony. Nonetheless, there was an assortment of efforts made to broadcast the ceremony. As well as take photographs of each student accepting their award, in hopes that parents still got to experience a special moment with their child virtually.
As a community celebrating students’ achievements will always remain at the forefront of Rangeview’s priorities. Giving traditions a chance to change may not always be easy, nonetheless, it is important to keep in mind change can be positive and proactive. Congratulations to all students who participated in the Academic Lettering Ceremony and a special thank you to all the staff who made it possible!
