PAHRUMP’S FUTURE: Seniors to make graduation walk tonight

It’s a safe bet to say that all Pahrump Valley High School graduating seniors have been looking forward to this day for quite some time.

The school’s 2015 commencement ceremony scheduled for 8 p.m. tonight will see roughly 215 students make the traditional walk.

School Registrar Jennifer Shockley said the number could change as students were still testing this week.

“Right now the number is slightly up from last year but we are still waiting on some final grades to make sure all of them made it,” she said. “Out of those 215 graduating seniors we are looking at about 65 honors graduates, which is about average because we are usually between 60-and-70 honor graduates.”

Among the honors graduates, Shockley said, are two students who will share the coveted valedictorian recognition. She noted it’s the first time in many years the school will graduate co-valedictorians.

“There is no salutatorian this year because we have co-valedictorians who have achieved a 4.6 grade point average,” she said. “We have Samantha Altiero, and our second valedictorian is Thaddeus Newcomb. They are great students and we are very proud of them.”

Along with the graduates, come family and friends. The school will try to accommodate the number of guests, which exceeded 1,200 last year.

Shockley said school officials want as many people to attend the ceremony as possible and they’ve made it as easy as possible this year, as each graduating senior will receive tickets for their respective families.

“This year we’re looking at giving about five or six tickets to each graduate for their family on the field seating,” she said. “We also have our grandstands open to general admission where anybody can come and you don’t need to have a ticket for that.”

Principal Chris Brockman said family and friends should be mindful of others during the graduation ceremony. He noted that it would best if parents and friends left congratulatory flowers and balloons inside their vehicles until after the ceremony has concluded.

“We just don’t want to impede the sight of other people trying to watch the graduation,” Brockman said. “Whenever you have big balloon bouquets and noise makers they’re kind of distracting and it takes away from the ceremony-type atmosphere we try so hard to develop here.”

The principal also said parents who want to take photos of their students should do so while remaining seated.

“We have a lot of parents that like to get up and try to take a picture of their graduate coming to the stage,” he said. “When that happens we get a pretty big clog of people gathered in front of the stage. If we could possibly keep parents in their seats where they can take pictures of the students walking around the outside perimeter, that would be best.”

Brockman said a professional photographer will be on hand and parents also have an opportunity to buy a DVD of the entire graduation ceremony.

“That will all be available to them so they will have everything to make the event a very memorable one for their graduating student. We just want parents to stay in their seats and enjoy the ceremony.”

As always, parking can be an issue during graduation.

Shockley said members of the Nye County Sheriff’s Auxiliary will assist with parking and traffic control, where an entire area is dedicated for those with mobility problems.

“Of course we will have the courtesy rides from the parking lot to the seating area,” she said. “They will have to have the handicap license plate or placard on their car because if they don’t have that they won’t be allowed in the handicapped parking area.”

Once seated, all guests are required to adhere to statutes as far as what’s permitted and what is not, while taking in the ceremony, as the use of products on campus is forbidden.

“That includes the new e-cigarettes and vapor cigarettes because if they are up in the stands and they’re smoking one of those, all you can see smoke or vapors so none of them are allowed to be used on school property,” Shockley said.

Graduating seniors, Shockley said are required to wear cap and gown if they want to participate.

She also warned that diplomas will not be handed out to seniors during the ceremony, due to problems in the past as some were lost, damaged or misplaced.

“It’s one less thing to worry about,” she said. “The parents and students will come back about a week and a half later to get their diploma along with their transcripts and additional information that they need.”

One issue Brockman and Shockley had concerns about is tonight’s weather conditions, as a 50 percent chance of rain is in the forecast.

Though the show will go on if there are light sprinkles, Shockley said school officials have a plan “B” just to be on the safe side, if there’s a torrential downpour.

“Every packet of tickets given out to a graduating senior has a special stamp on the back of two of them that will allow at least two family members to watch the graduation inside the gymnasium,” she said. “Unfortunately we fit everyone in the gym due to the fire codes that we have to follow.”

Brockman said officials will also be looking out for other weather displays from Mother Nature.

He said he wanted about a 90-minute window of mild conditions during the ceremony tonight, while noting umbrellas will not be allowed for those in the stands and field seating.

“If lightning is visible there will not be a graduation ceremony on the football field,” he said. “We won’t cancel it but we’ll just have to go to plan B. Unfortunately we can’t let anyone in the gate who is holding an umbrella. It’s not because we want to get everybody soaked, but we will run into the same problems that we’ve seen with the balloons and flowers.”

Guests can also sponsor chairs at just $10 according to Shockley.

“It doesn’t buy them a seat during the graduation ceremony, but it sponsors a chair in honor of a graduate or in memory of a family member or even a business,” she said. “Many of our local businesses have purchased these chairs for advertising.”

Officials also want guests to know that no food or drinks will be allowed in the field seating area and the grandstands.

Water will be available for purchase for $1 a bottle as a fundraiser for the 10th grade class.

With temperatures dipping into the mid-50’s, and a chance of thunderstorms in the Pahrump Valley, Shockley wanted to remind guests to dress appropriately.

“Obviously we are looking at a little cooler temperatures so family and friends may need a light coat by 8 o’clock at night this year especially if it’s raining,” she said.