This graduation is a celebration free zone
Family Kicked Out of Graduation for Cheering
Clapping and whistling got Brandon Sample’s family (including his mother, father, aunts, and even his 86-year-old grandmother) kicked out of his graduation ceremony. Grandview High School had a strict dress and behavior code for the ceremony and they had the police there to enforce it.
On home video, a police officer said, “You’ve got to leave.”
A woman said, “This is a celebration, sir.”
The police officer said: “I know. The school didn’t want you, them doing that. You don’t leave, you go to jail. You understand that?”
It was all over this short burst of celebration.
“We were proud. It was one those where it was like the proudest moment in your life, and so we cheered. It was just a cheer, and then we were quiet,” said Joy Sample.
Several other families were also kicked out. The school district and some attendees defended the policy stating that over-celebrating was a problem.
“A lot of the kids we didn’t even hear their names, the next names called. This has been an ongoing problem for Grandview, and it progressively gets worse,” said Mary Swift, a graduate’s aunt.
There was clapping, whistling and celebrating at my high school graduation and there was no problem hearing the students’ names. It wasn’t exactly rocket science - the MC just paused when necessary.
(Tip credit Richard Emerson)
I’m sorry, this time I’m on the school’s side. I went to my son’s 8th grade celebration yesterday, and the same standard was requested from students and guests as this article describes. Unfortunately, this was a complete waste of effort, as some of the students and their families carried on so much the entire ceremony was disrupted. I think arresting someone is unreasonable, but asking people to not scream and yell or jump up and down….I have no issue with that at all.
I also agree with the school. My graduation in 2000 was marred repeatedly by chants for people throughout the ceremony that continued to disrupt the entire proceeding, of course after being asked not to - even during the ceremony. The MC should not have to pause for the rudeness of audience members. I understand that this is an emotional time for friends and family, but tact and respect are never ever optional, especially to an event such as a graduation.
I see no problem with the policeman’s actions. It’s ridiculous that we have to do such things, but the disruptors are ridiculous, too.
I’m with Jim. Frankly, this is all of a piece with that whole crowd that frowns upon yelling at soccer games and the like.
Now it’s considered “rude” and “disruptive” and to congratulate folks at a celebration with cheering. No, it’s OK to do it at a football game or basketball game, or something quite useless (really, who cares if Johnny scores the winning shot, 20 years from now), but try to celebrate something *really important*, and the (now-literal) “courtesy police” are after you.
I side with the family, and just ask that those that don’t like what they do to just understand that the whole world doesn’t have to be quiet just because you don’t like what they do.
I’m sure Mr. Policeman very politely threatened jail (I’d love to have taken that case to court, I’d have done it pro bono, settled nothing, and put the school and the policeman through a litigative wringer). I’m also sure this is a wave of the future: we just don’t want your celebratin’ kind around here no more pardner.
Geesh. Could people just cut some slack here.
And, frankly, this could easily be handled by an adequate sound system and a strong voice at the mike. Y’all waited 13 years for this to happen, y’can wait a little longer so that everyone else gets a chance to celebrate, too.
All they need to do is install better speakers. No need to ruin a family’s good time. The family should sue.
I have to say this has got to be a joke. I mean seriously this is beyond absurd. At my school, I was class of ‘94, celebrating was the idea. People brought air horns, oversized beach balls, megaphones, and the like just to try to out do the next happy family celebrating. Some of the kids that day needed to hear it seeing as how they very rarely are commended in earnest for their scholastic achievements. We had a class size of around 350 and when the crowd got roudy the MC kindly reminded everyone that no one was going to leave, meaning the students sitting with their diplomas in hand, until everyone has gotten a chance to walk the stage. That meant that those cheering parents knew that they were going to have to sit there until everyone’s names had been called. The MC would politely pause and wait until the cheering subsided to continue reading the names. Most people knew that 20 to 40 seconds was about all that people would need to get their point accross. Oh and for those of you wondering how long our graduation took…….4 hours…and we loved every screaming interupted moment.
You don’t understand, this is all part of the self esteem bullrah. We can’t tolerate one family showing more excitement than another it might damage what is left of Johnny’s value system. So the Gestapo er school administration has to make sure every one is equal to the lowest common denominator, i. e. orfanhood.
Graduation Equality
Zero Intelligence reports that the family of a high school graduate was kicked out of the graduation ceremonies for celebrating…
At my daughter’s graduation last year, there were several families that brought air horns and took great delight in blasting them — not only for their children — but during the principal’s and the valedictorian’s speeches. It wasn’t celebration, it was rude, disruptive, “I’m the only one who counts” behavior. I say throw them out.
To be honest students who wok really hard allthough out their school life get overlooked by people who disrupt continuosly. People need to be rewarded and their is nothing that cheers someone up more than a celebration cheer. Their only going to graduate once, so grow up and let them have some fun