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Not only that, but why not encourage cheering to the max? It's a solemn occasion? I think not.
In a slightly related anecdote, at my college graduation there was one student who didn't receive his diploma, because when he took the stage to get it, he raised his arms over his head and screamed, "I SHOULD HAVE GONE TO [X COMPETING SCHOOL]!!!"
Now, more to the point.
...the 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....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.
The parents knew the rules and the consequences, as did the students. They signed a contract. Furthermore, the policy was in place due to previous problems caused by classless idiots. People were being disruptive, so rules were put in place to keep them in line. Said people knowingly chose to break said rules.
I have absolutely no sympathy for the students or their families in this case.
Damn straight! =P The going rate is 3 liberty units to the dollar.
No, leprechauns are worth a fortune. Pots of gold and all.
Read what Rym wrote. Regardless of whether or not you think there should or should not be cheering at graduations in general, in this particular case the families and students are in the wrong. They all signed contracts saying that they would not behave in this manner, and they knew the consequences beforehand. They chose to yell and cheer when they agreed not to, and now they are complaining that they are suffering the consequences they agreed to. They are lucky the school will give them diplomas in exchange for an apology. That's very generous of the school. The school didn't have to do shit.
Carole has done some education law. She spent two years at the Education Professional Standards Board in the Kentucky Department of Education. She was the director of paralegal studies at Daymar College, a little proprietary school. For the last year and a half, she's been doing litigation management for United Educators, a sort of a reinsurance agency for universities. She thinks that since it's a public school, they can't deny the student the diploma based on the actions of other people. I'm at least somewhat persuaded that the diploma itself is something that the school can either give or deny, just as a school can refuse to release a student's transcripts if the student hasn't paid his student loan, or hasn't cleaned his dorm room or something. I checked briefly and couldn't find any statutory guidance. That's not to say there's no such statute in Illinois. I just can't spend the time to look.
The thing both of us have the most problem with is the school saying that the student can have the diploma if they do community service. I don't know how the school came up with that. Maybe it was in the contract.
Now, when Carole was at Daymar, I taught a couple a criminal class and an evidence class. During the time we were there, we went to a couple of graduations. The students generally behaved as one would expect, but the people in the audience engaged in the same tomfoolery that the Illinois people probably did. There's a place for that sort of thing - at a celebration held after the ceremony.
Acting out during a graduation ceremony is common and crass. It ruins the ceremony for other people. At the Daymar graduations, I wasn't concerned with anyone getting more or less caterwauling. I simply wanted everyone to have the opportunity to enjoy the ceremony in peace. Typical. "The ACLU sucks . . . until they can help me."
There's a place for that sort of thing - at a celebration held after the ceremony.
The correct answer is very.
You know, I don't understand why more schools are willing to do that. It seems like such a smart thing to do.
I graduated a year ago. Why did no one think of that punishment?
I actually disagree with the school backing down, but thats mainly because it sets a bad precedent and undermines this nations academic institutions.