A few weeks ago my advisor handed me a bright red folder.  It’s engraved with silver lettering, has Mayor Mark Funkhouser’s name written in huge type on the front and includes a certificate inside, inscribed with the official seal of the ‘city of fountains’ and personally signed by the mayor.

Apparently I, along with dozens of seemingly random STA girls, am ‘one of many Shining Stars that have set an example of why the City of Kansas City, Missouri is a great place to live.’  Yes, I am a Shining Star and Kansas City is a great place to live, but why did you feel the need to give me an award and tell me that?

Firstly, not even Nancy Drew could solve this mystery.  No one has remotely any idea what the reasoning behind these awards was, who received them, why they were given or what their purpose is.  Unfortunately, no formal letter, handwritten note, email, postcard, wall post, tweet or YouTube video was included.

Thanks for the explanation.

Maybe they were given to honors students.  Maybe they were sent to STA girls who play fall sports.  Maybe the mayor himself flipped through the school directory and picked every ninth name.  Who knows, maybe the city decided awards should go to Catholic school girls with long brown hair.

Really the only problem with my new award is that it’s so awkwardly shaped – I’m going to have a hard time finding a frame that it’ll fit in so I can hang it on my bedroom wall.

What a shame.

Secondly, doesn’t the city have better things to worry about than handing out useless awards?  The city is completely broke, the unemployment rate is higher than ever, KCMO public schools are in a state of utter disarray – in desperate need of educated teachers, new facilities, better programs and more funds – and issues like crime prevention and public works have seemed to take a back seat in the city’s eyes.  According the the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of July, Jackson County’s unemployment rate is 10.8%, which is 1.1% higher than the national average.  Last spring the Kansas City school board decided to close 28 area public schools due to a lack of funds, creating overcrowding, violence and plummeting student to teacher ratios.  Kansas City doesn’t have the time, monetary funds or need to send meaningless certificates to high school students.

Thanks for the recognition, but stop avoiding the real issues and start trying to make this city better.