<p>So, had a graduation today. Not bad. Some cheering, some airhorns, but nothing awful – but this is not the same school I mentioned in the above post. </p>
<p>One annoying thing. Parents with rolls of tape who come in and rush to the premium seating down front and put tape across a whole row. So, the choice is to run in with a roll of tape and be really pushy or resign yourself to balcony. We sat in the balcony, in case you are wondering . . . Up there one couldn’t see the graduates coming in because they come in on the floor below the stage. Now that I think of it, this theatre seems like not the best place to have graduations. . .</p>
<p>One of the teachers gave a nice speech about slowing down and trying to fight the trend to turn our kids into sleep deprived perpetual motion machines fueled by caffeinated beverages.</p>
<p>My S graduated last year from a top suburban public high school - the ceremony was held in the football stadium. There were about 12 incidences of air horns and a few dozen more loud cheers. But we noticed that the airhorns were not for the smartest, friendliest, or most popular students, nor were they for the top athletes, class leaders, etc. - just for the jerks, for lack of a better name. It was obvious where those students got their values. Fortunately the students in our part of the alphabet came from the proud yet responsible families so everyone could hear the names.</p>
<p>The early “reserved” seating issue has been going on since kindergarten in our local schools. I used to be able to name who would show up in the front rows at the annual talent show. It’s as bad as Rosh HaShona with the tallit across entire rows! </p>
<p>We were advised by neighbors with an older child to arrive about an hour early for the graduation ceremony and had fairly good sight lines. Although I do have an aggressive husband who would have just sat on top of the tape if someone tried to hold seats that way. He just tells them you can’t reserve an entire row. Maybe if everyone refuses to play their games, the selfish greedy seat grabbers would be forced to stop.</p>
<p>Regarding the saving of seats at graduation. Our school district administration did issue a directive this year saying that a person could save ONE seat on either side of their own seat - no more! The letter was sent out to the parents of all seniors and it seemed to work well. Those who tried the ole’ masking tape across an entire row were told by other parents that it was not allowed. </p>
<p>Thoughts shared by ‘Marilyn’ again prove my “study results” - the lower the class rank of the student, the more airhorns that blast as he/she crosses the stage!!</p>
<p>Well, something to remember is that for high achievers, high school graduation isn’t as big a deal as it may be for the less accomplished. Our kids are all headed off to college and new challenges, with more significant graduation ceremonies (hopefully) yet to come. For some students, though, high school graduation signifies a more final demarcation in their lives - and in some cases one which might have been in doubt right up until the last semester’s grades came out. It’s perhaps understandable that the level of exuberance might be greater for the latter students. I’ve observed that here, too, and frankly find it kind of endearing. I’m glad they made it, and glad that they and their friends and family take pride and joy in having done so.</p>
<p>As to the seat-saving, I’m totally in agreement. I like the policy MidwestParent suggested.</p>
<p>dmd, I agree 1000%. When my son graduated HS last year both he and another co-valedictorian gave speeches but they were only about 3 minutes each. But then a school board member gave a speech that must have lasted 10+ minutes and was BORING beyond belief. I would much rather listen to cheers from proud family and friends than stupid speeches by someone the kids don’t even know.</p>
<p>I’m not against the applause and cheering myself, though I have never heard of airhorns that some of you have had at your graduations. There is nothing like any of that here. Clapping for someone with a brief cheer would not bother me. They have to make sure the sound system is such that the announcements/names can all be heard. We just don’t have this kind of problem at our graduations. As far as seat saving, they do not allow that and make it very clear. When it comes time for one’s own child to get the diploma, parents creep near the stage and take a photo and everyone is good about not obstructing views…creeping very low and then rising for the diploma shot. We don’t have professionals taking photos here. It is a celebratory day (and for some their final graduation ever) and so the cheering and clapping is fitting. Airhorns should be banned at the entrance or they should stop the proceedings if airhorns are used and say so at the start. I can’t picture airhorns but then again, our graduation only had 150 students under a very large tent on a lawn. No stadiums here.</p>
<p>I have never been asked for my high school diploma in my entire life, and, as far as I am concerned, if the school thinks so little of it that they would deny it to students for acts they didn’t commit, they’ve cheapened the diploma for everyone, and they can keep it.</p>
<p>Our high school graduation is held indoors (in the fieldhouse), each graduate is issued 6 tickets. We had no trouble whatsoever. 2 people rang cowbells when someone graduated, and I thought I heard one airhorn from the other side of the fieldhouse - but both were very brief. People did cheer and clap after each name (and there were 329 of them!) but only for a few seconds, and the principal left enough time between announcing each name that there was no problem hearing the next person. The whole ceremony still finished in 2 hours, so taking a few seconds between each name didn’t seem to be a problem.</p>
<p>I think punishing the kids for the behavior of the audience is wrong. It might send a message for next year - or more likely, people will start cheering for kids they DON’T like to try to get them in trouble! I think security escorting any offenders out of the proceedings would be better.</p>
<p>What is wrong with people (parents, relatives, etc) that they have to get so out of hand anyway? Whatever happened to common sense and dignity?</p>
<p>Well, d’s graduation was held indoors yesterday. The “single clap” occurred for each student. A number of students had louder applause/cheering, and there was one airhorn. Not too bad, and not too unruly. You could hear every name. And the kids were well-behaved too - even listened to the speeches!</p>
<p>I saw the parents (both single mothers) of two graduating seniors interviewed yesterday on Sunday Good Morning America. One of the parents said that it wasn’t even herself and no one in her group who cheered when her daughter’s name was called. More moronic micro-managing by school administrators.</p>
<p>How much longer is everyone going to have to sit there due to applause? Let’s see, 5 seconds extra per kid multiplied by 100 kids equals about 8 minutes. Big deal, cut the speeches and let the kids celebrate. Even in classes of 500, we’re not talking an undue amount of extra sitting. Let’s put that extra half hour or so of our lives in the context of 18 years of childrearing. Not such a big deal. </p>
<p>Everyone is in such a big hurry and so quick to get their nose out of joint.</p>
<p>Stupid, I agree. My class was ~1,200 kids, so there was an incentive to make things go more quickly, yes, but it was fun to cheer for friends. Plus, I got a standing ovation. That was a cool feeling, I have to admit, but I think any cheering felt nice for kids–worth even the extra time. The school did “punish” for things like a beach ball mosh and kids summersaulting on stage, but I’m not sure if they went as far as to actually deny anyone’s diploma. Besides, everyone liked the creative kids; they broke up the monotomy.</p>
<p>doubleplay, if you had been at my oldest son’s graduation, well, it wasn’t polite applause that was the problem! However, I will admit it was more interesting than the graduations of my other two. And yeah, there was a lot of interesting dancing across the stage. Some very interesting dancing. That didn’t bother me. What bothered me was the overall rudeness of the audience, the random yelling, the yelling during the speeches (who knows if they were boring or not, who could hear?), and the threats that almost turned into a fight . . . But I don’t agree with punishing students for this behavior by the audience either. I don’t know. Maybe down on the stage it didn’t sound as obnoxious as it did where we were seated way up in the nosebleed section. Because if it had, they would have had to stop the ceremony. That’s what I’m thinking now, looking back on it.</p>
<p>It is always very polite and quiet like a tennis match until we get to about 100 of 500 grads. Then occasionally a group will cheer on their grad. Its kind of fun! Breaks of the monotony of the 6 seconds given to each name. The readers never miss a beat but continue on reading names. Honesly it is exhausting to hear…after they are all done, the cheering, airhorns , clappers etc all come out …mostly because it is OVER…no one more speech that no one wants to hear. Our sponsors tell the kids this is not for you , this is for the school. I disagree. These kids worked hard and should enjoy themselves so long as it stays in control and doesn’t PROLONG the event.
The school lost credibility when they asked for any kind of an apology. ridiculous. They cannot withhold these diplomas.</p>
<p>In the Post this a.m, it said that though the kids and family members met with authorities, the kids did not receive their diplomas because ‘no apology’ was made. This is becoming more about the posturing and flexing of the school than anything to do with the actual events at the graduation. Somebody’s power-tripping and the school board (or whomever runs the schools in that town) should stop it.</p>
<p>I had read a couple of days ago that the school was willing to give the diplomas as long as they received even an anonymous call of apology! But they didn’t receive any. The apology thing is a bit much. It seems for the sake of an argument because they were willing to receive anonymous calls…meaning someone from CC could call and say, “sorry, I cheered for a graduate!” (by the way, I can’t really imagine apologizing for cheering at a celebration, as long as it wasn’t airhorns or disruptive or prolonged). This situation is really wrong as evidenced that it made the news due to it being overboard. There were other ways to handle this if it was disruptive…stop the proceedings and warn the audience, or have security people usher disruptive people out, etc. Also, if it was five seconds of cheering, as I saw one graduate claim, it really doesn’t seem like a bad thing to me other than the school didn’t want them to do it. If the sound system is loud enough, a five second cheer is not going to be so terrible. No matter what, the person getting the consequence shouldn’t be the graduate who earned the diploma and didn’t do anything to have it taken away.</p>
<p>there was a scene in a movie, can’t remember which one, and it has probablly been in many, where somene did something “wrong” and the powers that be wanted a confession, etc…everyone started to “confess”, it was a sign of solidarity</p>
<p>and remember that movie with Kevin Kline, where he was “outed”, at the end, the audience outed themselves to make a point</p>
<p>I think we should ALL call the school and apologize for over exuberance, etc</p>
<p>Perhaps all the students at this school should “confess” it was their family who cheered, and say, oppsy, to show the absurdity of the punishment</p>
<p>I don’t like the cheering either, but to punish students fro something they didn’t do is pretty lazy</p>
<p>Spartacus. In the end, the Romans were to hang Spartacus on a cross outside the city. So they asked, “Which one of you is Spartacus.” Spartacus – or Kirk Douglas – steps forward to meet his fate and says “I am Spartacus.” But then everyone with him steps forward and makes the same claim. So we end up seeing the road lined with hundreds upon hundreds of bodies.</p>
<p>This is sort of different. Especially the part where nobody called to make an apology.</p>
<p>My favorite irony in this is that the school administrators created this rule to ensure that the event remained dignified and solemn…and, yet, it has come to symbolize the height of idiocy and the very people who think of themselves as gatekeepers guarding against frivolity are the biggest jackasses of all.</p>