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Thirty cops to enforce no-cheers rule at graduation
Graduates of Indianapolis public schools have been told about the new policy forbidding cheering during the reading of the graduates' names. "It is not a party. It is not a pep rally," says the school's chief. At least some parents think getting dragged out for being excited about a family member's accomplishment is spoiling the fun. (Indianapolis Star)
May 21, 2007 | Permalink
Comments
How lame. They want to make sure everyone can hear every name and it should be a "proud and decorous" occasion. But if you don't do it their way, 30 police officers will embarass you and your family by removing you physically from the premises.
And it's okay to yell and cheer as they come in and as they leave, though. Just not at any other time. A creepy Big Brother feeling comes over me when I think of that. And you add in that the parents have received "multiple letters" about the behavior at the event... Ugh.
Posted by: N | May 21, 2007 10:26:31 AM
Pep Rallys are horrible too...wow...show your 'spirit' for a school you didn't choose to attend. I guess it's a good way to instil nationalism and jingoism into the next generation of worker-consumers.
Why do we celebrate highschool graduation? That shit is EXPECTED! It's like asking for a medal because you didn't beat your wife or something...
Posted by: Sean, Torrington CT | May 21, 2007 10:30:02 AM
completely agree with the last poster... my biggest source of happiness upon graduating last june was that i never had to go again. If anything the schools should scrap graduation ceremonies due to "budget crisis."
Posted by: | May 21, 2007 10:35:51 AM
forgot that last year when i graduated the new principal requested no cheers and so the first few parents didnt (like until they hit the letter E) and they were mad afterward cause they didnt.
Posted by: | May 21, 2007 10:37:10 AM
"Pep Rallys are horrible too...wow...show your 'spirit' for a school you didn't choose to attend. I guess it's a good way to instil nationalism and jingoism into the next generation of worker-consumers."
This is why I hate college kids.
Posted by: KF | May 21, 2007 10:50:47 AM
Guaranteed this is directed at African Americans because they are extremely loud at these events.
Posted by: Uncle Kracker | May 21, 2007 10:57:00 AM
I have to say I understand the no cheering rule, though I think it's kind of ridiculous to have 30 cops standing by to enforce it.
If everyone is cheering, then it becomes a popularity contest for who makes the most noise. But I think the bigger deal is that cheers can drown out the calling of someon else's name. It would kind of suck for your own family to not get to hear your name called because the previous person's family was whooping and hollering for ten minutes.
I addition to no cheering, my highschool also had a "no throwing your cap in the air" rule. Most people, except for the trash, respected the no cheering rule, but I think everyone broke the cap in the air rule. The lone cop in attendance yawned, then oggled some teenaged girls.
Posted by: elchampino | May 21, 2007 11:01:55 AM
Well, those ceremonies are annoying enough. Much worse when they are stretched out when they pause between students to wait for the cheering to die down. I mean sheesh, you graduated from high school, not cured cancer.
Cops to enforce it? What we need is that mom to put a sign on them -- "I delayed graduation ceremonies so I have to pick up trash along the highway" on the sign or something.
Posted by: Sigh | May 21, 2007 11:03:34 AM
I have nothing against high school graduations but the ones they have for making it past kindergarden are just plain stupid. People should be able to cheer if they freaking want for their child. I would be the dickhead being dragged away by the cops cause I would give one hell of a whoooo hoooo when my daughters name was read.
Just to address pep rallys who didn't love them? It got us out of class for an hour or two so who cared. You also go to catch crotch and butt shots of the cheerleaders so hell yeah, pep rallys did rule.
Posted by: The Asshole Guy | May 21, 2007 11:04:55 AM
These morons forget who they work for. Your tax dollars pay for your kid's schooling, you should get to let out a yell or two.
And there will be thirty cops who will be paid overtime, I'm sure. Your tax dollars at work again.
Posted by: KDP | May 21, 2007 11:07:08 AM
Sean, Full Marks for the well deserved vitriol on pep rallies. When you are carrying a full load of REAL courses ( AP courses in Math, Chem, Physics, Literature, and Foreign Language) pep rallies are the equivalent breaking your fingers and then failing you in handwriting.
I was forced to attend my HS graduation, was furious during the the entire procedure and refused to shake the hand of the principal (a person I despised on moral and intellectual grounds). There was a loud, prolonged, and vicious argument afterwards between myself and the person who insisted that I go.
We both got over it. But in the 30 years since we've never discussed it again.
Enforced socialization is NOT the job of schools. And its a little revolting to see adults take so much pleasure in doing it.
Posted by: Nell | May 21, 2007 11:14:28 AM
My graduation was ugly, and yes, Uncle Kracker, it was largely the African-Americans in the crowd who made it so. How embarrassing to have your family react as if no one in it's ever graduated.
Although I haven't attended enough commencements to draw valid, broad conclusions, my impression has been that it's ill-mannered people of any race who mar the festivities. It begins with cheering -- good-natured and exuberant, of course -- but devolves into catcalling the unpopular students and cries of "'Bout time!" for those who haven't competed well, academically.
One unfortunate side-effect of all the energetic display is, it tapers off as the alphabet wears on. Nice send-off for those who chose a surname after "M." The crowning touch is from those who file out of the seating area after their own kid's name is read.
I don't know what led to the cops being called in for this one. It's unfortunate that it came to that; but people bring it on themselves.
At a commencement, polite applause is appropriate, sustained throughout the exercise. Anything else leads downhill.
Posted by: Custom | May 21, 2007 11:28:25 AM
I'm assuming this is a high school populated by blacks and other mud-colored denizens. Why else would they need 30 cops?
Posted by: Carmen Gettit | May 21, 2007 11:29:09 AM
Hopefully no one gets tasered to death for this.
Posted by: Pocketmouse | May 21, 2007 11:39:00 AM
Cheering happened during my graduation as well. What made it so irritating was that the next kid in line, his family couldn't hear his name being read. Also, it was a very solemn, serious event. The cheering was out of place and made it seem like you were at a football game.
I think it *was* the parents who only made it through high school themselves (or never finished) who got so excited. There was nothing similar at my college graduation or grad school ceremony.
We didn't have more than 2 or 3 African-American kids in our school...but we had a bunch of hispanics. I don't think it was any one race who was more likely to cheer.
I thought it was tacky and in poor taste.
Posted by: kris eton | May 21, 2007 11:53:53 AM
This is old news in our district (in Fayetteville, NC.) I had three children graduate here and the no-cheer rule applied-and yes, people were removed for it.
One reason here is that they schedule the high school graduations back-to-back, three hours apart, all day long for two days. (yes, we have that many high schools.) They want us in and OUT as efficiently as possible, and it's like a big graduation factory.
Posted by: connie | May 21, 2007 11:57:49 AM
I can only say these things are fn long enough without to have to add cheering on.
Posted by: stopeatingmysesamecake | May 21, 2007 12:16:17 PM
Wow! The obligatory racist poasts have been made in my stead. I get the day off!
Thanks, guys!
Posted by: SwarthyTroll | May 21, 2007 12:16:30 PM
THIS IS THE MOST IDIOTIC THING! Those kids have worked their arses off to get to that point and someone's trying to tell them that celebrating their achievement will get them arrested? HELLO? Someone needs to pull the stick out of that Deans back end!
Curious? Check out Christopher Ruddy
Posted by: ShelbSpeaks | May 21, 2007 12:20:21 PM
Who has to work his ass off to graduate from high school?
Posted by: SwarthyTroll | May 21, 2007 12:27:15 PM
Swarth, I rarely laugh out load at these posts, but that last one of yours is a beaut.
Posted by: Oxhead | May 21, 2007 12:38:13 PM
Swarthy,
antisocial nell apparently had to that work hard to make it though high school. i took all that stuff she took and did sports, UIL, and theatre, too, and i loved pep rallies.
well, actually, we didn't have AP courses, we had college courses taught by college professor-ish type people for English, history, and government, accredited by a nearby university. but they were the same thing pretty much. they were blow-off courses in high school, just like they are in college.
Posted by: beanspants1 | May 21, 2007 12:39:58 PM
"Who has to work his ass off to graduate from high school?"
Someone who has a link to a Christopher Ruddy book in their signature.
Posted by: Mike | May 21, 2007 12:41:50 PM
I remember at my little brother's HS graduation, it was the trashier looking people who cheered their asses off. And judging by the looks of them, no, they didn't finish HS. I particularly remember one woman with gignormous breasts stuffed into a tube top (back in the day when they were still worn) who screamed and jumped so much, that, you've probably guessed by now, both, not just one of them, popped out of her top. A number of people in our section had their jaws drop to the floor. At least she looked embarrased as she tucked them back in
Posted by: andie | May 21, 2007 12:54:08 PM
I actually had my college graduation yesterday and they asked for respect to the other graduates and to not yell or cheer until everyone's name was called. Yeah, no one followed that rule with the exception of my family and a couple of other respectful parents and family members and it was actually really annoying. My name was hard to hear because of some inconsiderate people. Fog horns and all. Not just "Yeah, Mo!" Full out "that's my baby, yeah, girl!" "You my boy!" "Whoooo" with blood curtling screams in the mist. I would have been totally fine with cops coming in and taking the jerks away.
Posted by: guss | May 21, 2007 1:03:31 PM
