Students Lose Diploma Over Cheering

[brunota2003]

GALESBURG, Ill. - Caisha Gayles graduated with honors last month, but she is still waiting for her diploma. The reason: the whoops of joy from the audience as she crossed the stage.

Gayles was one of five students denied diplomas from the lone public high school in Galesburg after enthusiastic friends or family members cheered for them during commencement.

About a month before the May 27 ceremony, Galesburg High students and their parents had to sign a contract promising to act in dignified way. Violators were warned they could be denied their diplomas and barred from the after-graduation party.

Many schools across the country ask spectators to hold applause and cheers until the end of graduation. But few of them enforce the policy with what some in Galesburg say are strong-arm tactics.

"It was like one of the worst days of my life," said Gayles, who had a 3.4 grade-point average and officially graduated, but does not have the keepsake diploma to 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, actually."

School officials in Galesburg, a working-class town of 34,000 that is still reeling from the 2004 shutdown of a 1,600-employee refrigerator factory, said the get-tough policy followed a 2005 commencement where hoots, hollers and even air horns drowned out much of the ceremony and nearly touched off fights in the audience when the unruly were asked to quiet down.

"Lots of parents complained that they could not hear their own child's name called," said Joel Estes, Galesburg's assistant superintendent. "And I think that led us to saying we have to do something about this to restore some dignity and honor to the ceremony so that everyone can appreciate it and enjoy it."

In Indianapolis, public school officials this year started kicking out parents and relatives who cheer. At one school, the superintendent interrupted last month's graduation to order police to remove a woman from the gymnasium.

"It's an important, solemn occasion. There's plenty of time for celebration before and after," said Clarke Campbell, president of the Indianapolis school board.

In Galesburg, the issue has taken on added controversy with accusations that the students were targeted because of their race: four are black and one is Hispanic. Parents say cheers also erupted for white students, and none of them was denied a diploma.

Principal Tom Chiles said administrators who monitored the more than 2,000-seat auditorium reported only disruptions they considered "significant," and all turned in the same five names.

"Race had absolutely nothing to do with it whatsoever," Chiles said. "It is the amount of disruption at the time of the incident."

School officials said they will hear students and parents out if they appeal. Meanwhile, the school said the five students can still get their diplomas by completing eight hours of public service work, answering phones, sorting books or doing other chores for the district, situated about 150 miles southwest of Chicago.

Gayles' mother said she plans to fight the school board — in court if necessary — to get her daughter's diploma. The noise "was like three seconds. It was like, `Yay,' and that was it," Carolyn Gayles said.

American Civil Liberties Union spokesman Edward Yohnka said Galesburg's policy raises no red flags as long as it is enforced equitably. "It's probably well within the school's ability to control the decorum at an event like this," he said.

Another student who was denied her diploma, Nadia Trent, said she will probably let the school keep it if her appeals fail.

"It's not fair. Somebody could not like me and just decide to yell to get me in trouble. I can't control everyone, just the ones I gave tickets to," Trent said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070601/ap_ ... on_decorum

*****

THAT IS...gahhh I would be banned if I put my own thoughts down...punish the kids for something other people did, what the hell? That is like refusing giving the winning team their superbowl rings because the crowd cheered for them after they won...I hope they take the school to court, I wouldnt do community service for something that I worked for, for 13 years of my life, because the people in the crowd cheered for me...You cannot control other peoples actions; well, according to this school, you must!

[lurkey]

At the rehearsal of my high school graduation, the principal threatened to something similar if we [the students] didn't behave with "decorum" at the ceremony, i.e. no beach balls (ceremony was outside at the football stadium), no excessive clapping or cheering for our fellow classmates and no throwing of the caps in the air. Something about the importance of the ceremony and this was for our parents, not us. . blah, blah, blah [sorry, I stopped listening to the speech at this point. . . .].

Did we listen? hmmm . . no, of course not.

Someone from the audience brought two beach balls that "accidentally" ended up where the graduates were sitting. Everyone [including the graduates] clapped and cheered. And the caps were tossed in the air at the end.

ETA: Everyone who graduated got their diplomas, btw.

[brunota2003]

I know, the graduation is for the STUDENT! It is supposed to be a fun event that makes everyone feel at home, not a "Well, if you dont do this, you're being put in jail" like event...Granted, if the cheering during name calling gets to be excessive, yea, go down there and say something to those involved, and if they refuse to stop, have them escorted off the field...but dont ruin the student because of someone elses reactions...(BTW, we do ours on our football field as well, unless it is raining that day, then it is in the gym)

[HurricaneHunter914]

That's a bunch of bull. To punish someone because of what another person did is !@#$%^&*()! I hope those kids win their appeal because that school sucks. At my sister's graduation the school ENCOURAGED cheering for the graduates because they understood that we were happy and wanted to let it all out. Answering phone calls and sorting books is a sad way to get your Diploma.

[Stephanie]

It's supposed to be a CELEBRATION for goodness sakes!

It's like they need to "control" them one more time...

[lurkey]

Good thing this principal [or my high school prinicipal] didn't attend my college graduation. Let's see . . at the main ceremony, there was a streaker during the invited speaker's speech, beach balls, cap tossing, and you should have seen what the design school grads did to their caps. . ..

[Aslkahuna]

The former President of the University of Arizona once actually threatened to cancel graduation ceremonies if the traditional practice of tossing Tortillas in the air didn't stop-boy did he catch it over that. Tossing caps in the air is part of every graduation ceremony that I've ever attended. Galesburg admins would not like the local High School ceremonies where they have a Silly Period before the end and when my son graduated they even had fireworks. No wonder teenagers don't like adults.

Steve

[wxmann_91]

Wow. That's really all I have to say. That's really messed up. Getting a diploma is a major step in life. It is suppose to be a celebration, not a funeral.

[CajunMama]

Last year at my kids highschool (they graduated before this) the Bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette was handing out diplomas. Audience members were hooping and hollering. He told them to not do that, that graduation is a solemn event. Some audience members kept hollering at their friends/family. THE BISHOP WALKED OUT! He actually walked out after handing out a few diplomas. I disagree with his actions. Graduation is an event to be celebrated. That's 12+ years of schooling! Needless to say, the bishop didn't participate in either catholic high schools graduation this year.

[vbhoutex]

This is so ridiculous!!! Sounds like some of the same crap I went through back in the dark ages!!!! I can't even post on here what I told the assistant principal to do with himself after he told me to shut up after our ceremony was over. I did get my diploma too.

[Cyclenall]

This type of thing is not good. It's sort of like a road and first it's this (very dumb) but it's going to lead to something else later in which society starts accepting this type of nonsense. It's more like a control freak running the show and trying to keep outrageous rules in place just to control people. If this is where things are heading, it's going to be pretty bleak in the future. This kind of behavior needs to be culled.

[HurricaneBill]

So now these kids have to do community service to get their diplomas?! That's ridiculous!

What is so bad about throwing caps in the air? Are the school admins afraid a head lice outbreak will follow? Or did they take that scene in "One Crazy Summer" a little too seriously?

Graduation is NOT a solemn ceremony. It is a tremendous accomplishment! Parents should be allowed to express how proud they are of their children graduating. It should not result in costing their children their diplomas.

[TexasStooge]

I only got one thing to say to the Galesburg High School staff...

DORKS!!!

[Janie2006]

I'm pretty much in agreement with the sentiments expressed in this thread. It isn't the fault of the students if their friends and family cheer for them. Period. Full stop. I think it's ridiculous that those students were denied their diplomas for something that they couldn't control. Decorum, indeed.

Steve, tortillas at Arizona? Heh. Cool.

I'm going to have to ask my thesis advisor about New Mexico State's graduation traditions. (she earned her bachelor's and master's from NMSU.)

[Ptarmigan]

That's stupid. I hate those school administrators, who think they are better.

[Coredesat]

The dentistry graduates at VCU had giant teeth on their caps, I'd pay to see the Galesburg school board's reaction to that.

EDIT:

[Chacor]

American Civil Liberties Union spokesman Edward Yohnka said Galesburg's policy raises no red flags as long as it is enforced equitably. "It's probably well within the school's ability to control the decorum at an event like this," he said.

I find this the most surprising, that the ACLU aren't backing the students.

[therock1811]

At my 2004 graduation quite a few students cheered. When it was over - the cap-tossing STILL commenced, I didn't do that but I did hold mine in the air...I do believe everyone still got the diploma even after that.

BTW, I recall that ceremony for one other fact too - when my name came up, and I crossed the stage, many of those in attendance stood and applauded me...because of who I am, what I'd survived to get to that point, and because it was the crowning moment of (in my case) 14 years in school. They didn't take my diploma away over that!

[MGC]

School administrators are morons. Case in point: My eldest son got in trouble for saying the term "this suck." As I was standing in the hallway talking with his teacher waiting to see the principle, students were walking to their next classes. I could hear them using all kinds of colorful language surely some they had learned on the playground and not in class. By the time I got in to see the principle I was sooooo mad that I gave the principle a piece of my mind. I pretty much said they were all a bunch of idiots and that if my child was suspended for saying "this sucks" while other kids are allowed to cuss like sailors I'd sue. I guess someone had half a brain and decided to drop the issue.....MGC

[Category 5]

I've heard and been nailed personally with many stupid rules and policies but this takes the cake.