Don't know if you guys have been following this story: Some of the comments from Wake County parents: "I totally agree with the Principal! Yes I have been to the ceremonies and have wanted to cheer the kids on but here’s the problem, when families start acting like a bunch of morons because their kids walked across the stage, the focus is not on the kids at all. Parents who act that stupid should be kicked out, and while it’s not the kids who act up, they do hand out the invitations and need to explain the RULES. There are still rules, right?! I’ll tell you one thing, the kids that graduated after the rowdy ones had no deserved attention on them. Way to go Mr. Principal for sticking to your guns. I bet next year nobody cheers." ----- I agree that the students should not have been punished and it was really ridiculous to demand an apology from them before releasing their diplomas. However, I can understand schools attempting a decorum policy. My son graduated last year. I never heard his name called and neither did the parents of the student behind him. The family and friends of the student in front of him started screaming and jumping up and down as if they had just won the lottery. The speaker had to stop the ceremony until these people calmed down. This happened several times. It kind of put a damper on what is supposed to be a milestone day. ----- am irritated to no end when I go to a graduation which is supposed to be a dignified event and people stand up and scream and yell when people walk across the stage like a basketball player made the winning goal in the NBA Final. As my father would say: "it shows a lack of upbringing". When I graduated from ECU last year(at 45 years old) I considered it a very sacred, important, and proud event for me, and it was cheapened by this type of behavior: it was an embarrassment. They state emphatically to save the applause for the end. ----- What about the family members and the gratuate that follows theese spirit showing folks. I have been to a number of ceromonies where this happens.The students and family members who follow one of the outburst are deprived "robbed" of the oppurtunity to walk on stage and hear their names called. They also have longed for this opportunity. When my sons name was called, I also wanted to cheer but I controlled myself and waited until the end just like most folks did. Only a hand full showed their immaturity and stole the next gratuates sacrade moment in time. ----- I've had 2 children graduate from Wake County schools and I found both events to be disappointing experiences. Parents screamed, hooted, yelled, blew horns, and generally acted like idiots at what is supposed to be a special occasion for everyone. The calling of names has to move along quickly because of the limited time constraints and the students whose names are called while the hooting and hollering is still going on do not get their moment in the sun. During my son's graduation, the people directly behind us screamed and cheered for their student and then talked and laughed and let their little girl run wild through the rest of the ceremony. Since my son's last name was a Y, you can imagine how noisy it was in the convention center by the time his turn came. When my daughter graduated, the family of the person 2 slots in front of her yelled and screamed "You go girl!!" while the next 2 names were called. Principals should do whatever is necessary to control such behavior!!! _____________________________________ So what is the solution? Any ideas? This principal shouldn't have caved. And the parents, family and friends should stop being so darned selfish and obnoxious. There's no sense in this. Is nothing sacred anymore? Why does everything have to be ruined anymore because of the obnoxious, selfish and ill-mannered behavior of a few? I have been to graduations in the past few years and experienced this. Whatever happened to the societal rule that you can do what you like as long as it does not adversely affect others?
You cannot punish the student for the actions of those over which they have no control. Other than that the school has the right to keep the peace for the rest of the visitors.
Have enforcement officials escort the violators out of the ceremony. The damage will have been done but these idiots will not be able to stay for the remainder of the ceremony. Eventually parents and friends will get the message.
I agree that they dont have the right the to keep every one in all silence, but this is what they tell the kids during graduation practice, I even think that when I was in highschool we had letters mailed out saying something like this also! "That its not their right to hoop and hollar and carry on because the tax payers are paying for this graduation ceremony and not you personally, but when you get to college and graduate you can do whatever."
Correct, the noise was disruptive at my son's college graduation as well as the high school graduation, but the students had no control over what others said or how loudly they said it. Unless is it a private college you are still affecting the taxpayers as they pay a portion of the in state tuition. I can agree with evicting the offenders but that is also going to be a disruption and a time thief as well. Maybe a quiet citation for disturbing the peace for each offender when they leave with a video as proof. A $50 or $100 fine might be a solution and while it would not stop the actions before hand it would eventually cut it down significantly once it was enforced for a while.
Maybe the officials are smart enough to not lecture the graduates about something out of their control. see Wayne's note: Gee it is shocking to me that an official high school letter would plant the seed for disruptive behavior later in life. Guess they do not care because it would not be under there watch.
I went to my sons school today, he passed fifth grade. (I know let's not start something here.) This was a grade school thing and the parents of some were out of control. I am very proud of my son, but today was a priviledge for the parents. The lack of respect for the ceremony left me speechless. How do children feel who's family and friends are not hollering for them ? I was proud but quiet, there is no need to create a scene during any ceremonies. This is my opinion. Silence is a virtue.
They had the same rules when I graduated back in the old days of 1994!! LOL They would police escort the parents/etc out and then if they had other problems with that parent then they were arrested. Maybe it is not fair to hold the diploma forever until an apology because it is not the students fault - but they tell it out loud by the principal or whomever is speaking at graduation to remain silent (the people should just be kicked out causing the scene).... but they do need to have respect for others around and not scream and not pay attention to the "rules" given to them. As a matter of fact our diplomas got held if we threw our caps after graduation! That was for college and not high school and they were serious about that too!! (they only gave blank books at graduation and the piece of paper/diploma afterwards)
I see it like this... In the military, if one recruit is lazy or screws up a lot, the drill sgt. makes the entire group take the punishment. There's a reason for that...it works. The entire group will make sure that recruit does what he is supposed to or else. These students ARE responsible. These are their friends and family members and the students should have told them this: "We have been advised by school administrators that during our graduation ceremony, all applause is to be held until the end of the announcement of graduates. This request is out of respect for all of the students because loud cheering, hooping, hollering and blowing horns...makes it so that other student's friends and families can't hear them being announced next. I know you are proud of me and I know you wouldn't want to miss hearing me announced, and I am asking you, my friends and family, to respect my asking you not to do that to other students. There is no reason for such behavior because you can show me how proud you are of me specifically when the ceremony is over. Please do not make a scene. If you do, I can be punished for your behavior and that wouldn't be fair either. Please be respectful of the rules and by doing so, you'll make this a special day for me and my fellow student graduates."
So if you have someone you really dislike you can make enough noise when they are called to prevent them from getting their diploma, especially if your friend already has their diploma. Or if you have a family member who does not listen very well because they "know" better?
Well you could...or you could steal their dog, or put horses**t in their mailbox, or egg their house, or spraypaint their windows, or put wet newspaper on their car to dry before morning and ruin the paint, or call pizza delivery and order 20 pizzas to their house, or..... I'm sorry...you were saying? Oh yeah...that errant family member. I would hope that the student and family hold good to their promise and do something to make him realize what a grave mistake that was.
That it does not work in this case... And that PREVENTS the problem or solves the punishment of the innocent victim in what manner?
Facing the known wrath and familial consequences brought about by your bad behavior at graduation can be a great motivator. Would you want mama after your butt?
Known wrath? That would imply there was a previous case, which is a very large assumption. That is why the example of the drill sergeant fails, because there is no known prior history of cause and effect for the group. As for familial consequences, that would explain why there are no cases of family fights, spouse abuse, child abuse, theft, or instances of dangerous or illegal actions that might affect other family members dealt with on a regular basis, right?
