Quote:HOBBS, N.M. (KRQE) – High schools across the state were forced to cancel all school events including in-person graduations because of the pandemic. One city in southeast New Mexico held a prom for their seniors but did it by traveling to Texas.

“Now is the time we all anxiously been waiting. I am honored to have the responsibility of presenting the class of 2020 to the Hobbs Municipal School Board members,” said principal Zeke Kaney.

Hobbs held graduation on Saturday for the class of 2020. The graduation that was held by the Hobbs High School followed the public health order by doing drive-up style graduation but just two days before the graduation some students from the high school attended prom just outside Seminole, Texas, about 17 miles from Hobbs. The prom was being thrown for them in Texas because of the current health order in New Mexico restricting mass gatherings.

Many people News 13 spoke to did not want to go on camera but all agreed they are glad they held a prom for them. “I think it’s great. I’m glad they had it. They should have had it in the stadium but you know with everything going on, I’m sure they didn’t wanna get fined like she threatened Logan with, so I’m just glad they had it,” said parent Kristy Magnuson.

A GoFundMe was set up back in June to help raise private funds to hold the prom for the students. Between ticket sales for the prom and the GoFundMe, more than $2,500 was raised to rent the venue and a DJ. The group even hired a company to provide COVID-safe practices.

News 13 asked parents if they feel it was wrong to hold the prom in Texas in direct defiance of the governor’s public health order, they said no and that Lea County is doing things just right. “Lea county needs to keep doing what there doing and the governor can just deal with it,” said Magnuson.

News 13 reached out to the governor’s office and the Health Department to see if they had knowledge of this and their thoughts about the out-of-state travel planned days before graduation despite the travel quarantine requirement but have not heard back.

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That’s awesome!
Young people refusing to go without a rite of passage.
Somewhere Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer are smiling.

When Richard Nixon gave us the 55 mph speed limit, Americans learned how to use CB radios. We are a resourceful people.