Posted on 06/01/2007 12:03:25 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
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.
I see.......so no one gets left out and has their feeeeeeeelings hurt. Why am I not surprised?
Good one. The sad part is, that is probably a true statement.
Yep. At sporting events, they're now starting to cheer halfway through the National Anthem. If I was the singer, I'd just stop singing until everyone shut up -- I'd also have a few words to say.
I sympathize with those families who cannot hear their own child's name announced because of noisemaking from other families.
A vote here for old fashioned decorum.
Come to think of it, no potential employer's ever asked me to prove my education or credentials. Ever.
There aer some freakin’ anal administrators at that school!
You won’t be able to hear a thing after the slob right behind you blasts your eardrums with an airhorn held about a foot away from you.
True story.
Especially when many schools have ways of getting higher that a 4.0.
There are some schools were no particular aptitude or effort would be required to get a 3.75; there are others where significant effort is required to get a 3.0. It would not seen unreasonable for a school of the latter type to have thresholds for honors/high honors at something like 3.25 and 3.50.
The damn speeches...THAT'S a different story. Get rid of the speeches and there will be all the time that is needed for all the cheerin' that people want to do.
The education system is a joke.
They think they can get away with whatever they want.
It about time we parents start fighting back. Wonder how they would like it if we just all home schooled our kids.
It would serve them right!!
Unfortunately, this kind of thing happens all the time.
But, but...this is their modus operandi for everything--punishing innocent people for the actions of others. Good for you if you succeed in getting any of them fired! School boards are deaf, dumb and blind.
I know of one school administrator who has an uncontrollable, explosive temper. I am praying that one day a student or parent will tape her tirades and put it up on YouTube for the whole world to see.
Meanwhile, the principal could have handled this properly by reiterating, at the very beginning, about disruptive cheering and that those who do so will be asked to leave. The administration shouldn't hold back a student's diploma that he or she rightfully earned...this is typical of their zero-tolerance, abuse of power, control-everyone-at-all-costs crap. No wonder administrators get no respect...they haven't earned it.
As for air horns, they shouldn't be allowed at graduations, that is a no-brainer.
Well, you may find this amazing (I do): I have not only my college degrees, my high school diploma, my grammar school graduation diploma, but my certificate of graduation from kindergarten! And I'm approaching 70 years of age.
Yes, yes, I know there's something wrong with me but all the psychiatrists gave up.
You must have a wonderful looking scrapbook. Congratulations!
Petty. Very small people with a taste for power.
“What the....??? Since when is a 3.4 GPA anywhere near honors status?”
In many schools 4.0 is the highest possible score. At my University, 3.2 is honors. There are 3 levels of honors:
Cum Laude (honors)3.2
Magna Cum Laude (high honors)3.6
Summa Cum Laude (highest honors)3.8
Since forever? There is some variation, but I’ve never seen or heard of cum laude as carrying a greater burden than a 3.5. Summ cum laude rarely carries a greater burden than a 3.8, and it’s the highest of the honors.
“The cheering never bothered me.”
Have you ever visited or seen a video of a black church at the peak of it’s service? Imagine that going on in a formal auditorium as you are trying to hear your child’s name announced.
My SO’s mother was hit in the head by a black woman sitting behind us, who felt a need to stand up and do a “praise the Lord” church dance when her son’s name was called. We’re talking entire families whooping, hollering, yelling, dancing, praising....for minute after minute. Once the name announcements get going, you have multiple families doing this at one time, because they feel a need to act like fools for about 5 minutes after their graduate’s name is called.
It’s rude, it’s inconsiderate, and it’s obnoxious. I don’t care if blacks are “more expressive”. They need to stop this crap.
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