West Hawaii Today Can't Seem to Recognize Kona's Own Students! WHY?

Dear West Hawaii Today (Reed Flickenger),


Emily McGeachy has been on the Dean’s list every semester and will be graduating Suma Cum Laude in May. She is getting a business degree in Equestrian Business from Rocky Mountain College in Billings Montana.
We would appreciate your recognition in West Hawaii Today, as she is born and raised here. Emily will be 20 years old when she graduates.
This is a major accomplishment for any kid from West Hawaii.

Thank you,
Susan and Tom McGeachy



From: RMC Publications [mailto:burkhard@rocky.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 6:40 AM
To: rflickinger@westhawaiitoday.com
Cc: Susan McGeachy; RMC Publications
Subject: Dean's list includes student from your readership

Dear Sir,

We have sent our list of students, including those from your area, who made the Rocky Mountain College Dean's List every semester, and every semester the parents of one of our students informs us that your newspaper has failed to publish the notice.
We have tried to remedy this by having the parents contact you; by contacting you ourselves; and each semester the same routine ensues. We send out more than 300 of these to hometown newspapers and, for some reason, yours is the only one we have a problem with.
If there is a charge for publishing a notice of an outstanding accomplishment of a student from your area, you could advise us so we could advise the parents.
We are told someone at your newspaper (last year it was a B Jensen) has stated to the parents that the press release was not received, yet on two occasions, it was published after the parent contacted you, indicating to us that the problem was not from not receiving it.
We are sending the most recent list, in which Emily McGeachy, from Kona, is listed and we are copying her parents so they know you have received this, for the second time. The list is alphabetical, by state.
If there are any questions, please contact me.

Sincerely,
Dan Burkhart
News & Information Director

ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE ANNOUNCES FALL SEMESTER DEAN’S LIST

For more information: Carole Peterson, Student Records Coordinator, Enrollment Services. Phone: (406) 657-1029/Email: petersoc@rocky.edu

(EDITORS NOTE ATTACHED LIST OF STUDENTS. YOU ARE BEING SENT THIS BECAUSE THE STUDENT/FAMILY IDENTIFIED YOUR NEWSPAPER AS HOME TOWN).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BILLINGS – The Dean’s List for Rocky Mountain College includes 131 honor students for Fall Semester 2009. Eighteen students earned a 4.0 grade point average and 113 students earned a 3.6 - 3.99 grade point.
founded in 1878, Rocky Mountain College is Montana’s oldest institution of
higher learning and one of the most distinctive baccalaureate colleges in the American
West. For 10 consecutive years, U.S. News&World Report has ranked Rocky in the top
10 best baccalaureate colleges in the West. Forbes Magazine ranked it as the top college
in Montana.
A private comprehensive college offering more than twenty-seven liberal
arts and professionally oriented majors, Rocky has a diverse population of approximately
1,000 students who come from thirty-seven states and twenty countries. Rocky also offers professional studies in aviation, equestrian and physician assistant programs. Masters degrees are offered in accountancy, physician assistant and educational leadership.

THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS ARE ON THE DEAN’S LIST FOR THE FALL
SEMESTER 2009:

Students with 4.0 Grade Point Average have an asterisk (*) before their names for
achieving High Honor on the Dean’s List.
Students with 3.6-3.99 Grade Point Average do not have an asterisk.

HAWAII
Hilo
Tokura-Ellsworth, Saraswati

Kona
McGeachy, Emily

===========================================================

After emails, long distance calls, etc... Today West Hawaii Today finally ran an announcement of Emily McGeachy on the Dean's list. 7 times on the Dean's list, 7 times West Hawaii Today (specifically Reed Flickinger) was notified, and Today after much ado it was run. 3 out of 7?? Is that good???
What about our Students?
West Hawaii Today has to be hammered into recognizing Kona's children for their educational accomplishments. Sad we parents have to fight for our children. The local newspaper sure isn't on board without alot of hassels. Let's hope West Hawaii Today isn't doing this to other children.