Dear Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and the NMAA (New Mexico Activities Association), I along with the names listed below have grown tired of the inadequate and unfair treatment the performing arts have endured for the past two years. Since the start of this pandemic we have seen our concerts, events, workshops, practices, and many other activities related to the arts cancelled due to this pandemic, while also having to cooperate with the overly strict and unsensible covid guidelines set. For a while we were unable to sing indoors and were required to distance ourselves 9 ft apart. Now that we may finally sing indoors we are still required to continue to distance ourselves 6 ft even though we will go to our next class just to sit right next to our peers. While these examples may just pertain to choir, the annoyance of these guidelines is felt by the rest of the arts. We, the arts, have not received fair treatment by any means; sports, such as football have always been over funded with money flooded their way while the arts receive little funding and strict guidelines. During the height of the pandemic, athletics continued to hold practices and meets while we were prohibited to gather and sing. It is disheartening and upsetting to see how while we have our events cancelled or drastically altered  such as All-State, the most recent football game held at Rio Rancho High School where people were shoulder to shoulder and packed together was not questioned at all and continued with no restrictions or obstacles. With the restriction and alterations made on All-State we have gone from a multiple day event to a single day event where we not only won't be performing with all those who qualified, but also won't even be able to perform at all. We demand that the unsensible and unfair restriction on All-State be lifted and that the event be held as it was in years prior, with appropriate, fair, and sensible restrictions to keep those performing and the audience safe. We respectfully demand that the event go back to a multiple day long event with all of those who qualified participating together and not at separate “All-States”, we also demand that we be able to sing for anyone who purchases a ticket and wishes to watch the performance rather than the current plan of having us sing to an empty concert hall with no plans to even stream or record it. I and those listed below demand fair, adequate, and sensible treatment for the arts, we also hope to finally receive a fraction of the respect that so many have given heavily to sports for years. We are hard working musicians and students who hope that you will make the right decision in taking a step in shifting your focus and priority from primarily sports to the education system, sports, and the arts equally.

Sincerely, Connor Archibeque and those in support listed below