Another Case of Head-In-Ass Disease.

[Purgatory]

Ill. students lose diplomas over cheers By JAN DENNIS, Associated Press Writer
Fri Jun 1, 10:31 PM ET



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.

ADVERTISEMENT

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.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070602/ap_on_re_us/graduation_decorum

[Cair]

...What the hell? You don't get your diploma just becuase people cheered for you at graduation? That's pretty gay. :notrust

[Marl]

That seems like a bloody insensitive thing to do, if you ask me.

Sure, I can see why you'd not want people cheering inappropriately, but this sort of punishment seems rather extreme.

[Near]

Well It seems the majority of parents want the applaud to wait till the end. That's pretty weak to take away the students diploma just because their parents have no self control. It's also sad though you can't even have a ceremony without someone screw it up. It's not difficult to follow these simple rules.

[Catterix]

So, who's the people with their heads up their ass exactly?

What the hell is wrong with applauding someone for Graduating college... that's what you're meant to do!!

[Purgatory]

So, who's the people with their heads up their ass exactly?

What the hell is wrong with applauding someone for Graduating college... that's what you're meant to do!!

The principle for making up such a rediculous rule. Graduation is a time of change, when a person goes out into the world on their own. They're supposed to go with pride, not with shame. The ceremony isn't a place in which you can control how much people applaud or cheer. Trying to make them not cheer is like trying to make them not to boo in a game.

[NeonRoses]

Err, what's Head-In-Ass about that?

Sure that's extremely harsh, and stupid, but I can see why they did it, even if they did take it to extremes.

[Zodd]

That district is crazy. We told them the same thing at our graduation, and people didn't respect that at all.

[Near]

The ceremony isn't a place in which you can control how much people applaud or cheer. Trying to make them not cheer is like trying to make them not to boo in a game.

Are you serious? so when murders become common we should just except it because stopping it is impossible? At first I can see school allowing a few cheer here and there, because yes parents get excited but when no one can hear what's going on,not knowing whether its a graduation ceremony or the Stanley cup play off games well...I say someone took it a little far.

It shouldn't have to be the school to discipline the adults, they get complaints, what are they suppose to do.

"Sorry we wouldn't want to infringe on peoples rights to be assholes, it's in the constitution or whatever document they seem to hide behind."

[ToPocHi]

I don't see the logic here. Any parent knowing that their children would be graduating would be in a state of euphoria. It's an indication of a relatively good upbringing.

Why'd they impose such an unreasonable implementation anyway?

[ComputerFriendly]

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

WTF!? Why do they have to do this work just cause their parents and friends cheered loudly?:amazed

[AbnormallyNormal]

wow that school is 100% retarded, i can understand desiring silence and all but no need to go incredibly insanely overboard like this

[Chi]

Why do the ceremony, if you can't express your feelings there?

[Link]

Blame Dean White. It was his idea, which he tried out on my school first. I hated it too, and so did most of my class. I was glad when he left for IPS.

[neko-sennin]

"Race had absolutely nothing to do with it whatsoever."

Really? My B-S Detector is going *ding!*

So this is how you show the next generation what "mature" and "adult" behavior looks like? Somebody needs to ground these clowns, and give these graduates what they devoted years of their lives to earn.

[Chi]

Also.. Can someone explain me, why a graduation person is responsible for others behavior.
I learned in the school, I didn't do anything wrong, give me my diploma. Why the hell I suffer, because of someone's cheering, even if it's my family.

Really.. As much as US is a free country, there is such ridiculous stuff..

[Halcyon Dreamz]

That's stupid. The kid worked for that diploma, you can't just deny it because she gets cheered.

[BrianTheGoldfish]

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.
That's the biggest insult of all. Even disregarding the fact that the parents' noise was brief and hardly worth going crazy about, the students themselves didn't do anything wrong. Why should they be punished at all? Acting like children and withholding their diploma from them on a technicality is bad enough, but community service? Whoever thinks that's even vaguely justified needs some form of brain surgery.

That's without mentioning the fact that the contract their parents signed ruled that they act in a "dignified" way. Cheering on your child at their graduation is in no conceivable way dignified; nor should a graduation be a "solemn occasion" in the first place. It's a celebration of far too many years of education and work, and of the life ahead; it's not a funeral march.

What a joke.

[mister_manji]

they didnt have that BS at my graduation in '05. Its funny, because school officials these little power trips.

[Fai]

Wow, what stupidity >_____>.
So now I guess you can't cheer when someone graduates ?

[sikvod00]

Are you serious? so when murders become common we should just except it because stopping it is impossible?

There is a big difference between breaking some random contract that prevents parents from being "undignified" at their child's graduation ceremony and committing murder. The former does not need to be so strictly enforced because it is an innocuous act and very easy for anyone to do (Whoops! I hollered out her name! Wtf? Do diploma?).

[coriander]

Gosh. It makes all the bull you had to put up with in highschool seem worthless. For just a cheer. :(

[Kduff]

Well, they still have their diploma guys, just not an actual piece of paper diploma to hang up or frame or whatever.

If I were those kids, I'd just sue the district for incompetency and get my diploma, plus some money for damage and public humiliation. Any "contract" the parent's signed was most likely a very unbinding document that wouldn't hold up at all in court. And any intelligent judge could see how ridiculous it all is. It's not the students fault anyway. If someone should be doing community service, it's the parents, for breaching the "contract."

[A.U.X.I.L.A.R.Y]

Schools take away proof of education for everything.

[Mukuro]

I hope they learned their lesson.

[Tokoyami]

Keh. Thats the biggest pile of steaming bullshit I've heard in a while. It's an emotional time shut the fuck up and let them cheer you dumbass.

[KuKu]

WTF IS THIS ? I lol'd, this can only happen in U.S.A. x'DDD

[Lain]

Wait, are you saying she's being punished because some ELSE cheered for HER?

Then why blame the person getting the diploma?

Graduations seriously aren't fucking special anymore. At my sister's graduation, seniors weren't allowed to throw their hats up in the air... that's fucking terrible.

[Rangamaru]

If it was really 2-3 seconds of cheering then it really is BS. There could be more to the story, but I doubt it. My school had the same rule. That's why I hate graduations--graduation is supposed to be your time, not theres. I tired of people trying to control your life when unwarranted. Those kids and parents should be given some slack. it sounds like it was hardly out of control--just the school board being assholes.

[blueradio]

That's ridiculous.
I can't believe they would deny her diploma over a little cheering.

[Deviate]

Does it really matter to actually have your High School diploma? Meaning you earned it, but don't have the actual paper. I mean, that thing is basically useless and who the hell actually hangs that thing on the wall?

[Nisukeita]

Its absolutely ridiculous, such over-reactions from something so small...Its not even about the diploma, they humiliated those kids in front of everyone. What are those kids supposed think of the Adults in there area with such childish actions.

Here is a home video of the graduation, you can see that the cheering was for maybe 3 seconds and was NOT distracting at all...hell I got more cheering at my Graduation..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sK3AqFYAWQ

[Immortal Flame]

I can see the point of holding the applause, but what the school did as punishment for the unruly is just retarded.

[Tokokage]

I don't suppose it ever occurred to them to ask themselves "Could this rule possibly get abused somehow?" before putting it into action. It's frightening to think that our school boards of all things are run by such retarded people.

[neko-sennin]

It's been my observation that school boards are typically run by morons, and their collective IQs have been dropping steadily over the past twenty years or so, possibly even longer.

[Arachnia]

What exactly is wrong with cheering on that occasion? retards...

[Cesc Fabregas]

''well soooooooooooooooooooooorry for having freeking friends!!!''

allow going through 3 years of uni, and not having any form of proof to show it.

[Morpheus]

Wow only some1 retarded would take a diploma for cheering =S
If i was there i'd smack em in the face. With chakra.

[Omolara]

While I understand and agree that something must be done about disruptive cheering, the graduating senior should not be punished for their family's ignorance.
If all of the people there though about just how pissed off they'd be if loud cheering kept them from hearing their child's name, they'd learn to control themselves. It's disrespectful to the child after yours to have their name drowned out because you're still screaming over your own kid.
You may have the right to celebrate, but so does another child to have their name heard by all and for their family to hear it.

Cheering is alright, but you have to be respectful of the children who follow your own.

As for the school district, they should make the families pay for the diploma since they are the ones who were in the wrong. I think that the parents should be made to either keep silent, or shout for every graduate.

[Jetstorm]

I swear that people are losing their minds one by one.

[Yakushi Kabuto]

The heck, who wouldn't cheer on such an occasion, holding back feelings of elation at such a major event doesn't seem particularly possible.

[Moses]

Retards. That's just wrong, and it's probably unconstitutional though I don't have the attention span at one in the morning to check. You can't not give a graduate their diploma if they earned, no matter how much cheering their family did.

[RainyPhoenix]

This isn't right.
It's a graduation. It's a milestone in somebody's life. Obviously, people will be happy for them.
Yeah, the cheering does interrupt the ceremony a bit. But, they could always wait for the cheering to stop to continue calling names.
It's a special time. I rather be get out 15 minutes later than not be able to show appriciation and joy for an event that doesn't happen that often for people.

[Circe]

This is plain idiocy.

[Tsukimaru]

That's beyond ridiculous.

Also, I know for a fact that half of people came here because they saw "another case of head-in-ass disease" and thought: "OMG! That's real!? Are there pics?"