Here is your Diploma…NOT!
June 3rd, 2007 | by admin |No matter how proud you are of your son or daughter for making it all the way to finally getting that diploma there is always just one more road block. Remember those two finger claps of years gone by while you attended school? Anything louder than that during your high school graduation ceremony and they pull your diploma in Galesburg, IL!
Diplomas Denied Over Graduation Cheers
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: June 3, 2007
GALESBURG, Ill., June 2 — A high school that had warned against undignified behavior at its graduation ceremony denied diplomas to five students after enthusiastic friends or family members cheered for them during the commencement program.
On May 27, Galesburg High School students and their parents were asked to sign a contract promising to act in dignified way. Violators were warned they could be denied their diplomas and barred from an after-graduation party.
Many schools ask spectators to hold applause and cheers until the ceremonies end but few rigidly enforce the policy.
“It was like one of the worst days of my life,” said Caisha Gayles, one of the five students, who officially graduated, but does not have her diploma to frame and hang on her wall. “You walk across the stage and then you can’t get your diploma because of other people cheering for you. It was devastating.”
The school said the five students can still get their diplomas by completing eight hours of public service, answering phones, sorting books or doing other work for the district.
School officials in Galesburg, a city of 34,000 in northwestern Illinois, said the policy was adopted after hoots, hollers and even air horns drowned out much of the ceremony in 2005 and nearly touched off fights in the audience when the unruly were asked to quiet down. - New York Times
Contrary to popular belief, not all kids have a “Disney Channel Sitcom” educational experience. Yes, some children have a very hard time and for the ones that stick it through with those D grades it makes their friends and family damn proud.
If “Buffy and Biff” who sailed through with straight A’s parents want to do the two finger clap then you go right the hell ahead. If my kid struggled all along but stuck with it then I will cheer loud and proud! My kid just completed the toughest event of their young life and getting that High School Diploma is something to be very thankful for. If this were a sporting event then my child just made the first cut and made the team.
Who the hell is that anal among parents that doesn’t see the trees for the forest? Who amongst educators does not get the happiness of this lifetime achievement? Getting that diploma is the true beginning from childhood to being a functioning adult.
Would it hurt the ceremony to pause a damn minute or two to give each of the kids the encouragement they deserve from their families and friends while accepting the award of twelve years or more of continued determination to learn and make the grade. In a society that constantly bitches about kids dropping out, these folks are screwing them over just one last time simply because they hold the piece of paper that states to our society that you made the cut.
How is the kid getting the diploma responsible for this? Well, if you think about it they are. Yup, if gramps or grams with all the arthritis and bad hips gets to excited then pull that kids diploma. Mom or Dad that worked several jobs to pay for tutors and saved for college and a better future should be silent. Parents are to be seen and not heard from.
NOT!
We are just going to put this one in the idiot box and forward it to every blog we can think of. Life is hard enough for our young adults and then you get this educational Nazi idiocy movement. I refuse to “Achtung Mine Furor” on this one.
Some people are just assholes because they have a position that lets them be that way. Give you a clue, there are assholes like me that care and City Councilors that care even more. Especially, when nice folks that are not assholes reading and idiot blog like mine that email them to complain and demand justice… Hint, hint, hint…
Cross Posted at Papamoka Straight Talk
Galesburg High email Directory…
7 Responses to “Here is your Diploma…NOT!”
By steve on Jun 3, 2007 | Reply
I’d personally walk on stage and punch an administrator if they refused to give my kid a diploma.
By Matthew O'Keefe on Jun 3, 2007 | Reply
I can’t condone violence but you could email the principal Steve! There is a link to the email addresses in the post. It certainly could not hurt if you opined your disagreement with him…
By Froenx on Jun 4, 2007 | Reply
refusing a diploma just because someone cheers is flat-out retarded.
an email won’t work. you have to embarrass the crap out of them.
By steve on Jun 4, 2007 | Reply
Well… this would never work in California. The reason why, Asian families! These families will show up huge numbers and cheer when their kid walks up on stage like the kid had just thrown the winning touchdown pass as the Super Bowl. Seriously… The announcer, already stumbling over the name would be like, “Thuy T-(BWAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)”
Not even coming close to spitting out the last name. And this would happen with 30-40% of the graduates down in Stockton. So if this principal wanted to hold these kids back they couldn’t!!!
By manapp99 on Jun 4, 2007 | Reply
I am sure that the policy was enacted due to a situation or situations in the past, however you cannot deny a senior his/her diploma due to an unruly audience. In my graduation class there were over 650 seniors and they asked that applause be held until all were given out due to time contraints. This is reasonable and you would expect mature individuals would be able to recognize this, however there are always a few who won’t. Clearly a problem to be dealt with but witholding diplomas is not the answer.
By tos on Jun 4, 2007 | Reply
A diploma is definatley something to be excited about although I remember a time when it was expected of us.
By Fred on Jun 5, 2007 | Reply
Asshole administrators? Get back at Sendahole.com.