Graduation--What is Wrong With People

[Beth76]

Did you cheer if they used a tissue to blow their nose instead of their shirt.

Well now that I think about it, I did cheer when my 2yo pooped on the potty first time.

Sorry but it wouldn't have to take any longer than it already does. Let's say that on average it takes 10 seconds for someone to cross the stage to get a diploma. Their name is called, cheers for a few seconds, the next name is called. It wouldn't slow anything down and if the reader only pauses for a few seconds, everyone can hear.

And again I ask why can't everyone just cheer at the end? Why does everyone need their own personal cheer? And at my school it was much faster than 10 seconds. We had two lines of people and names were called with very little pause in between. I don't know about you, but I don't feel like sitting through a 4-hour ceremony listening to cheers and applause the whole time.

 

[komondorok]

Sorry but I don't agree with the way the school handled this. I have been involved in organizing graduations before and you always ask that people refrain until all names are called but it is not going to happen.

Yes it might be considered rude but in all honesty we are only talking about a couple of seconds of cheering. If the person reading the names is reading faster than that they are reading too fast. Things like noise makers and air horns have no place though and I could see some school taking a harder line on those.

I agree whole-heartedly

My daughter also graduated this weekend in a class of over 400. Cheering was allowed, just no airhorns or noisemakers. There were two speakers, one on each side of the stage, so they could potentially have rushed through the presentation of graduates. However, they did pause for it to quiet down each time before they read the next name. They used this 2 second pause to have a professional photographer take the picture of the grad receiving the diploma. And even with the pauses, they still managed to get through 400+ names in less than 45 minutes. Parents are going to cheer for their kids. You might as well design the ceremony around it. But I agree, airhorns have no place in the graduation.

As for the article withholding diplomas from kids that have people cheering, my first thought was also the potential of nasty families cheering for kids that are not their own just to wreak havoc on other families.

edited to add: At least in our ceremony, the cheering was not obnoxious. Each person clapped, maybe yelled their kid's name, a couple of woohoos and then they quieted right down. The forbidden is always more enticing. I think because it was allowed at our school, all the parents respected the rights of the other parents to also cheer. They said their whoop and immediately quieted down.

And our speeches were held to a minimum. We were in and out in less than an hour and a half.

But don't get me started on the families that brought paper and tape and "reserved" 2 to 3 entire rows of seats for their families. We were in an events center and all the rows close to the graduates had "reserved" on them. They must have paid parents of the previous grad class to put these signs on the seats. Now THAT was undignified!

 

[Bob Slydell]

I am concerned about the persons who intentially yell/cheer for someone not their child so that student doesn't get their diploma.

I was thinking the same thing. That has to be a difficult rule to enforce -- it's certainly not the graduate's fault if people in the audience get loud and obnoxious, family or otherwise.

It's annoying, it's rude and it's out of place in a graduation (at least to the levels in which it often gets). But punishing a graduate for something they didn't have any hand in isn't right either.

It's also nothing new -- nearly all graduation ceremonies I've been to (high school, college or otherwise) has had their share of unruly friends and family.

 

[DizBelle]

Give me a break! This has got to be the dumbest rule. HS kids just want to graduate and their family and friends are proud of them, so what is wrong with cheering them on? What next parents can’t cheer at the local baseball, basketball, football ect. game because it distracts the kids from playing well?! Everyone wants to hear cheers for their accomplishments, weather it's a HS diploma or the Nobel Prize.

Next they'll prohibit cheering at spelling bees.

 

[DizBelle]

Sorry but it wouldn't have to take any longer than it already does. Let's say that on average it takes 10 seconds for someone to cross the stage to get a diploma. Their name is called, cheers for a few seconds, the next name is called. It wouldn't slow anything down and if the reader only pauses for a few seconds, everyone can hear.

Witholding a diploma is a punishment that doesn't fit the crime. At both of my graduations, I received my diploma on stage. Does that mean that if my family cheered, the principal/chancelor would then say sorry I can't give this to you, your family cheered?

For a class size of 600 or more, all this extra time for each student will add about an hour to the ceremony. Don't forget the extra facility cost too. Whose supposed to pay for that?

 

[cardaway]

I was thinking the same thing. That has to be a difficult rule to enforce -- it's certainly not the graduate's fault if people in the audience get loud and obnoxious, family or otherwise.

It's annoying, it's rude and it's out of place in a graduation (at least to the levels in which it often gets). But punishing a graduate for something they didn't have any hand in isn't right either.

It's also nothing new -- nearly all graduation ceremonies I've been to (high school, college or otherwise) has had their share of unruly friends and family.

And let's forget the grad themselves that decide the rules must have ben written for somebody else. Wild hair colors, off color comments written on the top of their caps, wild clothing under their gowns, NO clothing under their gowns, and even beach balls and condom balloons bounced along the grad seating section. And all of that was from my graduation in '86.

 

[Becky2005]

The same thing happened at my neices' dance recital. During some of the dances there were people yelling and screaming names. So tacky.

Yep happened at our choir concert but it was the middle school boys who did it. The Conductor actually STOPPED the concert, told the boys "Thank you but this is NOT a football game". It was amazing to see those boys all of a sudden turn around and were the most polite kids after that making sure no one entered/exited during a song (you have to wait until a song is completed before doing so unless extreme circumstance -- I had to leave with my screaming little one in the middle of a song last year but I think they were more than happy to open the door for me even though it was in the middle of a song!).

They even print the "rules" on the program but many people still don't follow it.

I don't really know what the solution is since there is always going to be someone cheering even when they say to please wait until the end, etc... It never fails. I have yet to be at any event where everyone actually followed the rules. At my DD's gymnastics competition, there is a no flash photography rule but people still do it. Even with the judges getting up and chastizing them as it's a safety issue for the girls.

 

[Lionqueen2]

It's a matter of respect/manners, people don't seem to need dignified events anymore. I am so disappointed at the behavior of some people at graduations. I really miss the old respectful ceremonies.

While there are still people raising their children to have respect for others, it is so sad to see the incredible decline in manners and respect in our society. You even see it displayed on this board frequently, the "me" attitude and lack of respect for others.

You are so so right.

This post reminded me of a graduation that I attended a couple of years ago. It was held outside in the football stadium because there were over 600 students graduating.

I couldn't believe how rude the attendees were. You couldn't hear any of the names that were being called. There was no decorum in the crowd with constant talking and yelling when their own graduate walked on stage. People even arrived with large beach-sized coolers containing cold drinks, fried chicken, sandwiches, snacks, etc.

 

[mirthmaiden]

We've attended 3 graduation ceremonies this year and it's been rampant at all of them. People do it because there are no consequences and it is also reinforced when the audience laughs and thinks it's "cute." It's only getting worse. It happens constantly at any event where a person or group is performing or being recognized. I attended a music event recently and the soloist was drowned out by loud cheering and hooting and applause. Yes, she is talented. Too bad nobody could hear her because of the rudeness.

 

[Nennie]

Unfortunately, the obnoxious cheering not only makes the ceremony take that much longer, but it distracts from the graduate who has to walk across stage immediately after the cheering.

I have seen some schools eliminate the individual procession across the stage altogether, and just have the students stand as a group at the end and move their tassles from one side to the other. It's a shame that the individual processional has to be eliminated due to some families that think their child is more important that all of the other graduates.

 

[robinb]

If that was the rule then I think the noise should have been addressed as soon as the first rude parent/friends started to whoop it up. The announcer should have paused and reminded the audience to please hold applause so every child can hear their name called. By continuing to call names they gave silent approval which allowed the behavior to not only continue but to accelerate out of control.

OTOH, I don't see anything wrong with individual applause for each child . Although I know that a cow bell or an airhorn would be a bit much.

 

[declansdad]

For a class size of 600 or more, all this extra time for each student will add about an hour to the ceremony. Don't forget the extra facility cost too. Whose supposed to pay for that?

Sorry but it doesn't add extra time. I have organized school graduations and it can be done within the same time frame. If you are really worried about extra time, get rid of all the speechs and band performances that no one cares about anyway.

 

[disykat]

Give me a break! This has got to be the dumbest rule. HS kids just want to graduate and their family and friends are proud of them, so what is wrong with cheering them on? What next parents can’t cheer at the local baseball, basketball, football ect. game because it distracts the kids from playing well?! Everyone wants to hear cheers for their accomplishments, weather it's a HS diploma or the Nobel Prize.

This is the problem - people compare graduations to a sporting event. I think the intent is for them to be like a concert (not a rock concert) or religious event. The word ceremony actually implies solemn and formal - something where cheering doesn't belong. If people are doing that, it's really not a ceremony anymore, but something altogether different. Maybe ceremonies aren't appropriate anymore and they can start calling them graduation events or graduation rallies.

Every graduation I have been to had a joker or two that had to do this, but it seems like it is more generally accepted behavior now?

 

[snowy76]

The word ceremony actually implies solemn and formal - something where cheering doesn't belong. If people are doing that, it's really not a ceremony anymore, but something altogether different.

I agree with ya!

Hey - my cousin is getting married next month - I'm thinking of starting the wave every time an bridesmaid comes down the aisle.

 

[mirthmaiden]

I agree with ya!

Hey - my cousin is getting married next month - I'm thinking of starting the wave every time an bridesmaid comes down the aisle.

Nah, that's too subtle. They might think you're just standing up to fix a wedgie or something. I suggest an airhorn.

 

[snowy76]

Nah, that's too subtle. They might think you're just standing up to fix a wedgie or something. I suggest an airhorn.

 

[va32h]

We avoided this problem at my high school. The graduating class was so large that we didn't even read out individual names. We all stood up, the prinicpal said "congratulations, you are all graduates" and that was that.

In college, we got slightly more personal treatment - we were divided by major. "Will all the candidates for Bachelor of Arts in the Social Sciences stand up -- Congratulations you are all graduates!".

It's a real timesaver!

 

[snowy76]

We avoided this problem at my high school. The graduating class was so large that we didn't even read out individual names. We all stood up, the prinicpal said "congratulations, you are all graduates" and that was that.

In college, we got slightly more personal treatment - we were divided by major. "Will all the candidates for Bachelor of Arts in the Social Sciences stand up -- Congratulations you are all graduates!".

It's a real timesaver!

That was my college too - actually something like 12 colleges/professional schools within the university. We all stood up, flipped the tassels, we all sat down. But each college also had a "convocation" a day or two before the big ceremony - so that's where our name was called. Degrees were mailed out MONTHS after commencement, but I still have my commemorative paperweight from that day!

 

[komondorok]

And let's forget the grad themselves that decide the rules must have ben written for somebody else. Wild hair colors, off color comments written on the top of their caps, wild clothing under their gowns, NO clothing under their gowns, and even beach balls and condom balloons bounced along the grad seating section. And all of that was from my graduation in '86.

Our Saturday graduation - no inappropriate sayings on hats (it was closely monitored), one kid in the choir had green hair, but since caps were on all the graduates, didn't really notice hair color. Although one kid did spike his hair and cut holes through the cap to let the spikes go through (pretty funny actually.) Since he was within the rules of all cap decorations must be flat, the school let him graduate. All grads had clothes on under their gowns, although one football player did lift his gown when he was going down the steps, revealing bright orange hawaiian print board shorts. Definitely no condom balloons to be found.

But........they did have a few beachballs.

This 'undignified' senior class where the 'undignified' school allowed the 'undignified' parents to clap and cheer (and paused for each child but still managed to get us out of there in 1 hour and 28 minutes), had a 95+% college acceptance rate and over 6.8 million dollars in scholarship monies offered to this class of 400. Pretty amazing and pretty special class of kids, even though they were thoroughly undignified

But then again, their senior theme was "Release Your Inner Disney Princess/Prince" so they can't be all bad

 

[cardaway]

If that was the rule then I think the noise should have been addressed as soon as the first rude parent/friends started to whoop it up. The announcer should have paused and reminded the audience to please hold applause so every child can hear their name called. By continuing to call names they gave silent approval which allowed the behavior to not only continue but to accelerate out of control.

ITA. I've seen that work before.