the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, as graduation season arrives across New Jersey, recent ceremonies are drawing criticism—not for speeches or schedules, but for putting students’ health at risk under dangerous heat conditions, while municipal officials remain safely shaded under tents equipped with fans.
🎓 Students Left to Endure Extreme Heat on Artificial Turf
At a recent outdoor graduation, students dressed in formal attire stood or sat on artificial turf, known to retain and radiate heat far above the air temperature.
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Artificial turf can reach 120°F to 160°F, especially under direct sun.
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Students were visibly distressed, many shading their faces or fanning themselves with programs.
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No tents, fans, or shade structures were provided for student relief.
This setup is not only uncomfortable—it can be hazardous. The combination of synthetic surfaces and full sun exposure significantly increases the risk of heat exhaustion, dehydration, and even heat stroke.
🏛️ Officials Seated Comfortably Under Shade
In stark contrast, municipal and school officials observed the same ceremony from under tents equipped with fans—a clear double standard in protection and comfort.
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Officials remained seated in full shade with cooling systems.
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Their setup recognized the risks of prolonged sun exposure, yet no equivalent provisions were made for students.
⚠️ A Pattern of Neglect: Turf and Heat-Related Illnesses
This isn’t an isolated incident. Events held on artificial turf, such as past ceremonies at venues like Hinchliffe Stadium, have led to emergency evacuations for heat-related illnesses, with students and families collapsing from extreme exposure.
🔥 In just 80°F ambient air, artificial turf can become dangerously hot—up to 150°F—posing severe health risks.
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Surface burns
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Toxic chemical exposure from turf materials
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Dehydration and heat stroke
🧩 The Bigger Question: Fairness and Safety for All
The stark difference between conditions for graduates versus municipal representatives raises larger questions:
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Why aren’t equal cooling measures provided for students and families?
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Who is responsible for ensuring safety at public ceremonies?
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What protocols are in place for heat emergency preparedness?
These events are meant to celebrate achievement, not risk medical emergencies. As temperatures continue to rise year over year, event organizers must reconsider outdoor graduation protocols, especially when artificial turf is involved.
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They never failed to amuse us, top management across the border is a full joke, you know what if it was that hot and people are going to pass out I blame the residence for not getting up and walking out. Just ridiculous they could’ve done it at night When is at least 15° cooler.
I understand holding the ceremony in the evening is tradition, but time to start a new tradition. They should have the ceremony at 10am on graduation day, with a rain date the next day if holding the ceremony outside is the only option. I know there are concerns about student drinking before the evening Project Graduation events, but I am sure that can be handled. Seems unfair year after year to have the graduates and parents sweating and dealing with heat and rain threats.
And yet the staff sit under a tent for shade and cooling fans while principal Nyhuis butchers every student’s last name he was too lazy to rehearse
The woman who read the names of the students who achieved highest GPAs should have attended practice and learned how to properly pronounce the names. It is such a big honor for these students to achieve, and to have someone grimace before reading your name, and then butcher the pronunciation is just embarrassing and a bad reflection on our school administration. RHS has the same exact graduation ceremony every year. Doesn’t anyone go back and watch the live stream, and then try to fix the issues for the next year? Would be a smart move to do that.
Why was that woman invited to read the names? Do they give substantial money to the school? Doesn’t dad’s night or Jamboree gives even more?
Well said. To me it’s like an alleged New York/NJ TV reporter mispronouncing Moonachie or Ho-Ho-Kus, or Closter. We know where we live. Do you?
is done everywhere – just hand her a piece of paper with phonetic spelling.
Expect them to pay extra next year for trying to keep everyone cool.
Not only were officials under tents. The tents were placed a shaded area, so double protection. They also had multiple fans and iced “bottled water,” not toxic Ridgewood water.
Rerun of Shaft Movie set
Brogan…what a pathetic site.
This is costing you 125 million dollars a year…Why?
Because your Rich and STUPID
And FOOLS
Details pls
Re
Brogan…what a pathetic site.
Good thing it wasn’t this week at 100 degrees!
This is unethical by officials to be provided preferential treatment in this heat.
Great side by side comparison and reflection of how they feel about us the taxpayers who fund their salaries.
As tenant in Ridgewood, I am still looking for my reparations for these fake as leaders of the town set a trap and used the Ridgewood PD and FD and threatened landlord to remove heating system in middle of the winter in February 2024 which he immediately did. House was below freezing many days in Feb and March. Town knew tenants live here, but did nothing to help us.
Then in SPring 2024 3 officials from town were on the property walking around in my back yard and as I lit a cigarette on my porch I took a picture of one of them. And then he pulled up his phone and took a picture or was filming me as if I was part of some type of investigation. So I walked up to them and asked them what they were doing and chased them all off like a wild animal stalking prey.
I let them know what they did to us tenants that winter was wrong and basically told them to pleasure themselves together more ways than once.
This is America. It’s bergen county. What the heck is going on over here.
It’s not some 3 third world fascist country.
It’s like sending your kids to an outdoor camp with NO water or pool. So sad for the kids in the town. Take care of your kids and let them swim or go to a fully indoor camp
lol the school administration isn’t going to waste their time watching tapes from prior years! They are too busy planning their vacations
Did the students not all have bottles of water under their chairs?
Also, the ceremony was shortened.
Get over yourselves, peeps. The weather wasn’t that hot. Tradition is good.
88 and humid
110 on turf
Much cooler under tent, in shade w fans and cold water.
RHS Graduation in 2012 experienced similar heat . The kids can handle it .
Lots of fun & memories afterwards .
Most of these kids are going to college. Battle conditions there folks and the time of your life where you will meet the most interesting people and become your better self. Jealous!
Going to college doesn’t make these young kids any better…if anything it makes them worse and more unprepared for the real world.
They will be partying, doing drugs, not eating healthy meals, not sleeping well and will be away from their families…but yea college is so cool right they’ll have the time of their lives give me a break. Life starts after the 15-20 years of indoctrination. Not in it.
Only a matter of time before the artificial turf gets removed due to health and environmental hazards. Until then use Vets Field.
I miss the days of crying about those kids not wearing masks. Oh how far we’ve come in our fair village….
Much ado about nothing. As per usual.