James Tate, the senior from Shelton, Connecticut, is going to his prom after all.
That's the lede -- as we often spell it in the newsroom.
But this is more than just a happy ending for a Connecicut teenager.
One of the reasons many of us love working as local news reporters is the ability to take one person's story and tell it to the world. The world can then make up its own mind about good or bad, fair or unfair, right or wrong.
But even if it's a story that speaks for itself -- it needs a platform. That's us -- News at 6, or 10 or 11. Radio. Blogs, websites, Facebook, apps. Even the Grey Lady. That's The New York Times for those of you who think Facebook and Twitter are the media of record.
So all of us with our platforms -- we huffed and we puffed and we blew the house down.
And why is James Tate going to his senior prom? Without saying she was right or wrong, Shelton's headmaster said the "international" pressure was too distracting. Getting in the way of what a high school is supposed to do. As in teach.
But the story of one romantic kid - which captivated the media and everyone else - is all about teaching.
Teaching us again - us reporters - why we're here in the first place. (The idealistic part about telling someone's story).
Teaching school officials (who should have known) about the power of social media -- and how the mainstream media are now interwoven with Facebook and Twitter.
And perhaps teaching James Tate and his fellow teenagers that there are consequences to every action -- even if all you wanted to do was ask a girl to the prom.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
James Tate and the Shelton High School Prom
All anyone in this part of the country can talk about is a romantic kid from Shelton, Connecticut named James Tate -- who has been banned from his high school’s senior prom.
And what terrible thing did this teenager do? He and friends taped some big block cardboard letters up on the school’s outside wall – at 1AM – asking a girl to be his date to the prom. “HMU – Tate” said the signature. In a more elegant age he might have said call me. But this is 2011—so he said HMU. As in “hit me up”. Which, when I was going to my senior prom, was all about lending someone some money. As in “I’ll hit Dad up for the money for the prom tickets”.
OK – back to 2011. The girl said yes. But the high school’s headmaster Beth Smith said no. Seems she wasn’t amused. Nor did she think – like 99 percent of us – that this was a most creative way to ask someone to the senior prom. No – the headmaster thought that James Tate had been trespassing, being that it was 1AM and such, and by trespassing, had broken school rules. So she suspended Tate for one day.
If that had been all she did, I wouldn’t be writing about this because it probably wouldn’t have become the story of the moment on Twitter and Facebook – not to mention the mainstream media. No, it seems there are school policies at Shelton High. And, she said, school policy is that if you get suspended – you don’t go to your senior prom. Period the end.
But it’s NOT the end. James Tate has made network television appearances. Shelton’s Mayor thinks maybe the headmaster should revisit her decision. I’m writing about it along with hundreds of other reporters and bloggers. Not to mention all the tweets and comments and Facebook support page “likes”.
Some people think maybe we are all a little bats to make such an issue out of what is really just a school disciplinary matter.
But really, that’s not the point. At least not to me.
First of all, one’s senior prom is an event to be remembered for a lifetime. The right to those memories shouldn’t be cancelled for something that harmed no one. There was no violence. No one was bullied on Facebook or anywhere else. Tate didn’t flunk his finals. He’s going on to college.
And if I had a business which could use such a guy – I’d hire him in a minute!
It seems to me what America needs most these days is creativity and some derring-do. People who can come up with new ideas, new ways of doing things. And yet link them to the old ways so that all of us who aren’t 18 aren’t frightened off by those ideas. Well – finding a creative way to ask a girl to a prom is probably as old as proms themselves. We can all identify. And at a time when Tate could have used any number of digital, new media ways to reach his target – he chose one everyone could appreciate. Except of course Shelton High’s headmaster.
Come on Beth Smith. Give the guy a break. Bend your rules. Let him do the community service he’s volunteered to do. Cut off a lock of his hair maybe.
But reward his creativity – don’t stifle it.
Or maybe just reward a romantic deed in an age that is more about Lady Gaga than Rhett Butler.
And James Tate – when you graduate from Syracuse University – if you need a reference for that first real job – HMU. You know where I live. On Facebook.
And what terrible thing did this teenager do? He and friends taped some big block cardboard letters up on the school’s outside wall – at 1AM – asking a girl to be his date to the prom. “HMU – Tate” said the signature. In a more elegant age he might have said call me. But this is 2011—so he said HMU. As in “hit me up”. Which, when I was going to my senior prom, was all about lending someone some money. As in “I’ll hit Dad up for the money for the prom tickets”.
OK – back to 2011. The girl said yes. But the high school’s headmaster Beth Smith said no. Seems she wasn’t amused. Nor did she think – like 99 percent of us – that this was a most creative way to ask someone to the senior prom. No – the headmaster thought that James Tate had been trespassing, being that it was 1AM and such, and by trespassing, had broken school rules. So she suspended Tate for one day.
If that had been all she did, I wouldn’t be writing about this because it probably wouldn’t have become the story of the moment on Twitter and Facebook – not to mention the mainstream media. No, it seems there are school policies at Shelton High. And, she said, school policy is that if you get suspended – you don’t go to your senior prom. Period the end.
But it’s NOT the end. James Tate has made network television appearances. Shelton’s Mayor thinks maybe the headmaster should revisit her decision. I’m writing about it along with hundreds of other reporters and bloggers. Not to mention all the tweets and comments and Facebook support page “likes”.
Some people think maybe we are all a little bats to make such an issue out of what is really just a school disciplinary matter.
But really, that’s not the point. At least not to me.
First of all, one’s senior prom is an event to be remembered for a lifetime. The right to those memories shouldn’t be cancelled for something that harmed no one. There was no violence. No one was bullied on Facebook or anywhere else. Tate didn’t flunk his finals. He’s going on to college.
And if I had a business which could use such a guy – I’d hire him in a minute!
It seems to me what America needs most these days is creativity and some derring-do. People who can come up with new ideas, new ways of doing things. And yet link them to the old ways so that all of us who aren’t 18 aren’t frightened off by those ideas. Well – finding a creative way to ask a girl to a prom is probably as old as proms themselves. We can all identify. And at a time when Tate could have used any number of digital, new media ways to reach his target – he chose one everyone could appreciate. Except of course Shelton High’s headmaster.
Come on Beth Smith. Give the guy a break. Bend your rules. Let him do the community service he’s volunteered to do. Cut off a lock of his hair maybe.
But reward his creativity – don’t stifle it.
Or maybe just reward a romantic deed in an age that is more about Lady Gaga than Rhett Butler.
And James Tate – when you graduate from Syracuse University – if you need a reference for that first real job – HMU. You know where I live. On Facebook.
It's a Wonderful Town
I haven’t spent much time in Manhattan lately.
Not by choice; it’s still the most magical place in the world to me – even if the Times Square neon – er-- video is somewhat over-the-top these days.
Actually it’s a good thing Mayor Bloomberg forced that pedestrian zone down our throats; Times Square was an accident waiting to happen. I remember trying to drive down Broadway at dusk ---so mesmerized by the video displays I hardly noticed the cars and pedestrians in the gridlock around me.
OK. So there I was yesterday -- running from meeting to meeting – and wondering if all those construction jobs lost when the housing bubble burst had somehow migrated to Manhattan. Recessionary construction slowdown? Are you kidding? There must be some kind of building going up on virtually every corner. And remember “dig we must for a growing New York”? Well so does Con Ed. It’s still digging. Everywhere.
So the traffic is as bad as ever. Maybe worse. Why am I not surprised?
And maybe it’s because I haven’t been rushing around in awhile – but is there ANYONE on ANY street who’s paying attention to ANYTHING?? New Yorkers have always been famously self-absorbed – gazes narrowed to block out the “other”. But this is getting ridiculous. It’s not just the hordes talking to themselves anymore (sorry, I mean talking into those little hanging mics connected to their cellphones). Now they’re texting, watching videos on their iPhones, you name it. Sure I brush by people occasionally when I’m weaving in and out of sidewalk crowds. I usually murmur – “sorry.” Or “excuse me”. It’s kind of automatic. But not with the texting hordes. They aren’t even aware their backpacks or shopping bags sideswiped anyone. They’re not aware of ANYTHING! And if it’s annoying on the sidewalks -- try driving in midtown. People don’t even look before they wander off the curb into the traffic. Talk about being in your own world! The problem is --- I’m sharing your world – whether or not you want me to!
Could someone please send all these people a text message – to look – before they leap? Er… walk?
Thank you.
Not by choice; it’s still the most magical place in the world to me – even if the Times Square neon – er-- video is somewhat over-the-top these days.
Actually it’s a good thing Mayor Bloomberg forced that pedestrian zone down our throats; Times Square was an accident waiting to happen. I remember trying to drive down Broadway at dusk ---so mesmerized by the video displays I hardly noticed the cars and pedestrians in the gridlock around me.
OK. So there I was yesterday -- running from meeting to meeting – and wondering if all those construction jobs lost when the housing bubble burst had somehow migrated to Manhattan. Recessionary construction slowdown? Are you kidding? There must be some kind of building going up on virtually every corner. And remember “dig we must for a growing New York”? Well so does Con Ed. It’s still digging. Everywhere.
So the traffic is as bad as ever. Maybe worse. Why am I not surprised?
And maybe it’s because I haven’t been rushing around in awhile – but is there ANYONE on ANY street who’s paying attention to ANYTHING?? New Yorkers have always been famously self-absorbed – gazes narrowed to block out the “other”. But this is getting ridiculous. It’s not just the hordes talking to themselves anymore (sorry, I mean talking into those little hanging mics connected to their cellphones). Now they’re texting, watching videos on their iPhones, you name it. Sure I brush by people occasionally when I’m weaving in and out of sidewalk crowds. I usually murmur – “sorry.” Or “excuse me”. It’s kind of automatic. But not with the texting hordes. They aren’t even aware their backpacks or shopping bags sideswiped anyone. They’re not aware of ANYTHING! And if it’s annoying on the sidewalks -- try driving in midtown. People don’t even look before they wander off the curb into the traffic. Talk about being in your own world! The problem is --- I’m sharing your world – whether or not you want me to!
Could someone please send all these people a text message – to look – before they leap? Er… walk?
Thank you.
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