Having right name means a lot in Sidney

Published on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 3:35 PM MDT

Hard to understand that one person didn’t get to walk at graduation while others got to and did the same thing.

You have to have the right name and be big in Sidney it seems to me. What hypocrites you people are who did this. Do you sleep well at night from being so unfair? You’ll pay for this in one way or another, because I’m sure you have no regrets of how you hurt my granddaughter or the family. Things have a way to come back and bite you.

Irene Torgerson

Lambert

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Comments

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of the Sidney Herald.

Famunda wrote on Jul 21, 2009 8:13 AM:

" I don't care if I got to walk or not just as long as I graduated and got the heck outta there! So sush girl, sush your lips, do the Helen Keller ( cuz I learned that in school). "

me wrote on Jul 20, 2009 1:14 PM:

" please someone else screw up so this is dropped and these kids are left alone "

yep yep yep wrote on Jul 17, 2009 10:32 AM:

" Having the right name - it's been this way for many many years. Just ask any students who have had kids in their class that are good in sports or the "right name". They get special treatment. They will pass a class whether they do the work or not. If you are in enough activities and you get in trouble you won't have a problem "missing out" on the ones you really want to attend. Lots of kids will get in trouble and plead not guilty, set a trial date past the date of the activity they are in and when it is over they go back to court and plead guilty and do their time. Seen it happen many times. Don't blame others, it's all up to you for your own mistakes. "

just me wrote on Jul 15, 2009 6:29 PM:

" well i also was born and raised in sidney and had a name, but i never felt like i was treated any differently than anyone else. i still had to work my butt of for my grades and i still had to pay a fine when i got in trouble with the law. i don't think i got off the hook just because i had a certain last name. everyone makes mistakes whether you have a certain last name or not and i dont think that has anything to do with it. the point is if you get in trouble man/woman up and take responsibility for your actions and learn from your mistakes so you don't do the same stupid thing again. is it that hard to understand or are people just b***ing just for the heck of it. but then on the other hand, some people aren't happy unless they have something to complain about all the time. stop medling and let your children learn from their mistakes even if it is the hard way. "

From Sidney wrote on Jul 15, 2009 12:28 PM:

" I was born and raised in Sidney, without a "big" name and I agree completely that there is something about a name in that town! Even over fifteen years ago when I was in grade school and high school, expecially in athletics, someone with a name would be treated better and given more chances that someone without. And this was BECAUSE of their parents, who would run to teachers, principals, coaches, or school board if their child was treated differently, and they then would back down to them....because of who they were. Not exactly how I would want my children raised and something they should see. It is not like that everywhere, thank gosh!
As for this policy, it was the same then too. People who did get an MIP would have to sit out two evens. They would then join track or something else so that one of the things that they did not miss out on was graduation. I am sorry that this girl missed out, but it was something that she knew could happen when she made the poor discission to be involved in such an illegal activity. "

wrote on Jul 15, 2009 8:29 AM:

" Welcome to the real world! Is it double jeopardy if a commercial driver looses his job over a DUI? "

past student wrote on Jul 15, 2009 7:56 AM:

" I moved to Sidney as an elementary student from Lambert and never felt treated any differently than anyone else. I was involved in many activities had tons of friends and loved it there. I do remember that even years ago if you were busted for MIP or tobacco use you were out of sports, graduation, activities,whatever the season called for. If you don't want to get caught then follow the rules. Funny how the ones that get caught always seem to find someone else to blame for the punishment they VOLUNTEERED for when they CHOSE to break the rules. Give me a break and quit your whining grandma. "

Accept Responsibility wrote on Jul 14, 2009 11:55 PM:

" Ms. Torgerson, you claim that it is someone elses fault that your grandaughter did not get to walk across the stage for her graduation. Before you call the kettle black, maybe you should take a hard look at her actions. Nobody from the school board or administration forced her to go out and drink. She got caught, and the punishment was dealt as it had been written in the schools policy that she and her parents signed. The other people that got caught had not been to court yet so there could be no diciplanary actions taken. So when you point your finger at a select few and blame them, just remember there are three fingers pointing right back at yourself. "

kforce wrote on Jul 14, 2009 11:13 PM:

" The policy is absurd. The only laws that the students seem to be put in a position of "double jeopardy" for breaking are substance abuse laws. What about the criminal mischief, assault cases, vandalism, wreckless driving, speeding, theft, hunting violations... the list goes on and on. These are all violations of the law. But, the school board seems to believe that because they say so, certain illegal acts are punishable by them in addition to the court system. The last time I checked, a person couldn't be legally punished in multiple "courts" for the same crime -- If the activity doesn't take place at a school sponsored venue it should be none of their concern. "

Joy Of Former Senior wrote on Jul 14, 2009 5:07 PM:

" I think as parents we need to let our children know that they will be held accountable for their actions. I was terrified graduation weekend that my son would do something stupid and not be able do walk with his graduating class. Don't get me wrong, not that we didn't preach to him and preach. But you know how kids are. No matter what you say kids are going to do it and have for years. Thank God mine didn't. Of course if he had it would would have broke my heart to have had to say you knew the concequences. Now you do not walk. You get to face all these people. Maybe if more people made there children accountable we wouldnt have these problems! Law Enforcement & Administration need to work together. "

still wrote on Jul 14, 2009 1:36 PM:

" What you have all failed to understand is the difference between the two incidents. And no, it has nothing to do with names, prom queens, or anything else. One woman was caught, tried, either pled guilty or was found guilty prior to graduation. The other was caught but not tried and had not pled before graduation. Innocent until proven guilty. No way to take away graduation at that point, because there was no legal way for the school to know about the incident. It has nothing to do with anyone being liked more or less. It has everything to do with when things happened and the fact that you and/or your student signed the activity policy and agreed to the school rules. Its not like this is all some big surprise and they made up these rules in April. If you dont like the rules do something productive about it. Because I an guessing that all of these students are getting a little fed up being talked about, especially in such negative light. They have all been required to pay back the community for their crimes, lets leave them be and instead focus on the bigger issues, like the school policy or the fact that most minors in our community think there is easy access to alcohol and that it is acceptable to drink. "

WHO CARES wrote on Jul 14, 2009 11:41 AM:

" I'm a transplant as well and I have to say there are way to many people in Sidney that are insecure about their social status in this community. Good god, she got an MIP, live and learn and move on. I love how when people make mistakes instead of taking responsiblity for it they try to shift blame to something else, in other words they create the problem but in the end want to be the victim. This young lady, regardless of her name, broke the law and got caught and now has to take responbility for it. Irene Torgerson you are not doing your granddaughter any favors by trying to shift the blame from her to somebody else. All this "don't have the right name junk" just makes me laugh. Go to a big city or actually get out and see the real world instead of this isolated little section of eastern Montana and you'll see all this "don't have the right name garbage" is just an illusion. "

whatever wrote on Jul 13, 2009 2:27 PM:

" I am sorry to say but I agree, being a transplant ourselves it does seem that if you don't have the "right name" you don't get anywhere in Sidney, I am not sure the story about walking in graduation, but this has happened in other things. Sorry Sidney but True. "

former resident wrote on Jul 12, 2009 11:57 AM:

" the bottom line here is that this young lady made a poor choice. If she had never made that choice then participating in graduation wouldn't have even been an issue. She needs to take responsibility for that and everyone needs to quit blaming this on not having the "right" name, on who else got to walk, and on the school policy, right or wrong. "

E wrote on Jul 9, 2009 9:35 AM:

" This happens every single year. Sad, but true. "

Exasperated... wrote on Jul 8, 2009 11:41 PM:

" I don't think it's about having the right name, or being a jock or a prom queen or otherwise being "popular." I think it's about the simple fact that anyone who does not get their way around here decides that everyone else in town is being treated preferentially because poor little you must somehow be "different." I start to wonder if any one of those kids who did walk managed to earn it or if you think they were allowed to participate only to upset you.

I think the school's policy is incredibly poorly written, because had the person who didn't walk just participated in another activity that had its last even between the incident and graduation, they would have gotten to walk. No need to be a jock or prom queen, just time your partying with the last meeting of the AV club! The school's policy is set up to be unfair because I doubt anyone managed to think it all the way through before it got put on the books.

And please give up on the "right names" thing. Part of the reason that having the "right name" has so much power around here is because everyone blames everything on it. The policy sucks, go to the school board and suggest an alternative, and if they won't listen, get together the majority of people in town with the "wrong" name, form an opposition party and run for office. I'll vote for you. "

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