Students don't get diploma due to excess cheering from crowd

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by PinkRose1098

I think I remember a few beach balls floating around in the stands at the graduation of the glass before me in high school. The ceremony was also held outside in our football stadium which didn't exactly scream this is a special occasion so let's act like it.

I agree that location is probably part of it. Most public high school are having graduation in a stadium or gym/coliseum. It doesn't set the right tone, I agree. But I'm not sure it means we have to completely throw in the towel.

[RU OX Alum]

HS graduations should be taken seriously only if you plan on that being your last graduation....there should be beach balls, silly string, etc. espcially if it is outside

the college ones were just plain boring

[macallan25]

I agree, our HS graduation was like a big party....and everyone enjoyed it.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Our high school graduation was quite...enthusiastic. There were leis and sunglasses, and though I wore heels, many wore flip flops/sandals, and one guy went barefoot. Some students wore hardly anything underneath their gowns, and I wouldn't be surprised if some went commando. It was held outside in our football stadium, and there was lots of cheering for each graduate. No beach balls, though my brother had them at his.

My college graduation was a little more serious, but also fun. Being that it was a three-hour ceremony on a grassy hill in Malibu, almost everyone was wearing flip flops, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Lots of flowers, too. Some students had disposable cameras with them so they could take a snap of Tom Selleck when they were up on stage, as he was our graduation speaker.

[PM_Mama00]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

Our high school graduation was quite...enthusiastic. There were leis and sunglasses, and though I wore heels, many wore flip flops/sandals, and one guy went barefoot. Some students wore hardly anything underneath their gowns, and I wouldn't be surprised if some went commando. It was held outside in our football stadium, and there was lots of cheering for each graduate. No beach balls, though my brother had them at his.

My college graduation was a little more serious, but also fun. Being that it was a three-hour ceremony on a grassy hill in Malibu, almost everyone was wearing flip flops, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Lots of flowers, too. Some students had disposable cameras with them so they could take a snap of Tom Selleck when they were up on stage, as he was our graduation speaker.

Our (very boring) college graduation was pretty formal. I was the only one wearing flip flops... but people admired me because I was the only comfortable one while we were standing for 2 hours before walking in.

[CutiePie2000]

I skipped my university convocation ceremony in favor of a seacruise on the South China Sea. It was sweet.

[Marie]

This policy would have never effectively worked at my high school. There were way too many ppl to accurate monitor who was cheering for whom, and we definitely had spiteful ppl that would have cheered for an enemy just to get them in trouble. Aside from that...I would have died at the thought of trying to regulate my parents and their guests. Absolute madness!

[Tom Earp]

Sorry Call BS! I agree if some act like ass wipes then the should be Treated as such!

This crap of hooraying is getting out of hand! It is a time of pleasure for those of graduating, not a bunch of people going nuts and embarresing them!

But, denying the Students a Sheep Skin/Diploma is uncalled for! They earned it! They worked for it, give it to them!

Now some may see PC at it's finest isn't it?

[Drolefille]

The students are going to go to court rather than to sign an agreement. The families say they weren't responsible for the cheering and they won't lie and admit to it just for a piece of paper.

[DeltAlum]

Commencement was cancelled for my wife's college graduating class because the university was closed by riots following the Kent State killings.

Say they're boring or whatever, but it hurt after four long hard years of obtaining high academic honors.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

The students are going to go to court rather than to sign an agreement. The families say they weren't responsible for the cheering and they won't lie and admit to it just for a piece of paper.

Where did you find the story update?

[Drolefille]

Posted it in the AKA thread, but the NEWEST update is that they're getting their diplomas and the school's got its tail between its legs. A Peoria lawyer took the case pro bono and threatened a suit. Surprise! Diplomas for everyone. The Illinois State Board of Education wouldn't support the school either because it punishes the students for things they have no control over.

Students happy to receive diplomas
Attorney sent request to Galesburg administrators
From the Peoria Journal Star.

Jeff Green, an attorney with the Janssen Law Center in Peoria, announced Tuesday he would represent the students for free, demand an apology and the diplomas from the district or the matter would go to court....
The Illinois State Board of Education's decision not to support the district's policy to withhold the diplomas also played a factor, Denisar wrote.
...
Galesburg High School Principal Tom Chiles stayed in his office and out of sight as a secretary slid the paper across the counter to Trent and Kelley in an unceremonious end to the incident that has created such a buzz.

[UGAalum94]

I just happened to see the last post, Drolefille.

Thanks for the update even though it took me a long time to see it. I'm not surprised. That's the way it usually goes.

I'll be honest though; it would have been the way I'd expect it to go even if they had just removed the guest from the event.

It seems like no matter what schools try to do, someone tries to fight the policy and the district has to decide if it's worthwhile to go to court.

In this case, even favoring the policy like I do, I suspect it would have been expensive for the district to defend the suit even if they won it. And I suspect that when it came right down to it, they were afraid of it looking like racial discrimination and that it was going to come down to people having just turned in names, rather than any objective recording like video or something.

I wonder if the district will try to do anything next year. I bet not. So while it maybe a win for kids not being held responsible for guests' behavior, it's probably a loss for decorum at their graduations.

[Munchkin03]

I'm glad this silly little incident has been resolved. It was just a HS graduation.

Does anyone still know where their HS diploma is? I think mine is somewhere in storage at my parents' house. I don't think I really looked at it after commencement--I had gotten into my dream college and was ready to get the hell out of Dodge! My college diploma, on the other hand, is hanging up here in my apartment. My grad school diploma is in storage too, but once I get a stupid Columbia frame, I'm putting it in the office.

[JonInKC]

My college graduation ceremony sucked. Some dean droning on and on with some motivational sermonette. This is my day, I don't think anyone is interested in you waxing philosophical. Give me my diploma, old man Winter.