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Yahoo! News


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.

Well thats just about as stupid as throwing somebody's child in jail because their parents commited a crime

This is stupid---actually these people who decided that they are going to break the rules are stupid.

It was a clear rule and they broke it--now they have to deal with the consequences. In the article I read it mentioned that the reason this rule was put in place was so everyone could see and hear their childs name as they crossed the stage---and thats a decent rule.

IMO this girls dum bass family is at fault for her not getting a diploma. But sure---blame someone else for your own asinine ways.

So because the girls FAMILY cheered, the daughter, who went to school for four years and kept a pretty nice GPA, shouldn't be allowed to get HER diploma?

You mean that doesn't makes sense to you?

I understand where the school is coming from, but it really sucks for the girl. Also, working at an elementary/middle school, I can tell you that if this rule were in place where I work, kids would cheer ON PURPOSE for kids they didn't like to screw them over. Yeah, there's always a few.

I'll look for the article that I read on Yahoo, but it says the reason that this rule was enacted was because people were cheering out of control to the point that it was ruining the ceremony. No one was able to tell who was graduating or what was being said. So, I can see that this kind of interruption is unnecessary.

Now, this rule was spelled out prior to the ceremony--the parents knew it--the kids knew it--the family knew it. And yet, they had to do it anyway.

"Oh, look at me, I can't hold my applause until the end, not me." How ridiculous is that.

It's dumb to deny the diploma, but at the same time, the parents signed a paper saying they'd remain quiet, and it would personally make me mad if I couldn't hear my kid's name as they received theirs. I understand the point of doing this, but the diploma shouldn't be held back. There's other ways around it. Families just have to be a little more respectful of others.

The girl will get her diploma late.

Yeah, she'll get the thing at some point.

j/c:

The action taken was extreme, but they were warned. Then again, this would be really sad if the people cheering were not family members.

I do know this. When my kids graduated, the audience was asked to hold their applause until the end of the ceremony. There were idiots cheering both years. I thought what selfish ass holes these people are. It really hit home w/me when my son, who is my youngest, graduated. He was in the Top 10 and obviously graduated w/honors. Of course, no one heard that because the idiot family members of the kid before him made so much damn noise. What should have been a proud moment was instead a combination of feeling angry, frustrated, and disappointed.

Come to think of it..........I wish my son's school would have had that rule.

Good rule for High School, and shame it is needed.

The REAL solution would be for them to wait before saying the name since they know its loud...

I've never been to a graduation ceremony where people didn't cheer....

It's a good rule. The punishment is a bit extreme, but it's serving a good purpose.

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The REAL solution would be for them to wait before saying the name since they know its loud...

I've never been to a graduation ceremony where people didn't cheer....

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The vast majority do NOT cheer. It's always a few ass holes who then get some eating grin on their face afterwards like they've done something special. Typical of the "me" crowd.

And your REAL solution is flawed. The ceremony already lasts for a very long time. It would last way too long if cheering was permitted and they waited to speak until it got quiet. Then, it would become a competition between groups, as in who could cheer the loudest. Like the article mentioned, they even had freaking air horns in previous years. *L* And what about the poor kids who didn't get much applause?

Just shut the up until it's over instead of drawing attention to yourself and your loved one. Try to remember there are other people who are there too. It's not always about you.

The "crowd agrees" not to cheer. The crowd breaks the rules,so you punish the student?

Brilliant!

LOL...........you are one of the assholes, huh?

Let me ask you this. When you are coming up to a construction area on the highway, and there is a sign telling you to merge left, are you one of those people who stay in the right lane, passing all the cars filled w/people who are waiting in the left lane? Afterall, there are other ass holes who pass on the right. And while this causes the traffic jam to get worse and the majority suffers, you get your way and can't possibly see how you did anything wrong......right?

Nope. I find quite hilarious when they do it myself. If I cheer for anyone its a golf clap. Big whoop.

I'm sometimes the guy who gets in that lane and blocks people from doing that... usually I just move over and wait.

You're usually the who complains about everything aren't you? lol

yep.

Although usually after people cheer their one time they have nothing left to wait for other than the ceremony to end

Cheering makes you an ass-hole now?

Wow.

I've heard it all.

The problem I see with this "rule" is a simple one.

If I "didn't" like someone,all I'd need to do is get a few buddies to scream like hell when their name was announced and.................wah lah! I just screwed up them getting their diploma!

It's a very flawed rule based on very flawed thinking. Just like "if your son" had been on the beaseball team and a few nimrods from the team yelled when your son's name was called out.

No diploma for YOU today!

The FACT is,these graduates have no control over others in that auditorium. It's like the cops coming and arresting you because somebody you go to school with or one oif your moronic cousins robbed a bank.

Punishing those who are innocent of breaking the rules to begin with is never a "bright" option. Just a method to make a victim of people who have done nothing wrong.

These kids work their asses off to graduate then the school cheats them out of it because they aren't "crowd control experts"? That';s where today's society is headed. Punish the innocent for the wrongdoing of others that is completly out of their control. It's up to the schools to handle crowd control,not the students. But now? They're making the graduates pay for their shortcomings and lack or unwillingness to handle the job themselves. Simply idiotic...............

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and there is a sign telling you to merge left, are you one of those people who stay in the right lane, passing all the cars filled w/people who are waiting in the left lane? Afterall, there are other ass holes who pass on the right. And while this causes the traffic jam to get worse and the majority suffers, you get your way and can't possibly see how you did anything wrong......right?

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Man i ought to copy and paste that and put it in the pet peeves thread. I've never seen as much of that since i been in Melbourne. Typical of the "me first" mentality and it drives hell into me. also see - driving up the hard shoulder and pushing in traffic jams, we also got a toll way tunnel here, when traffic is heavy the shut the one lane for emergency vehicle access but the idiots use that too just to get 15-20 cars ahead.

As regards to this thread Vers, it's the same kinda deal. Kinda sad that others are not seeing where you're coming from. Don't spare a thought for this girl and her selfish idiot family, spare a thought for the family who's kid came after and didn't hear a damn thing. IMO. Just plain inconsiderate.

Is that legal?

I would start a seriosu protest if I were this kids family.

They had to sign a contract saying they wouldn't cheer prior to the ceremony.

I thought it was customary to cheer, this is very weird. Hell, I would have cheered to if my child was walking accross the stage, how can someone not?

Because by cheering you ruin the experience of the next kid who worked just as hard.

The ceremony would be 5 hours if they paused between each. At least at my high school.

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people wonder why kids don't care about education. Things like this are why.

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If you think kids are gonna forfeit education on the basis of this episode then i truly don't know what to think.

There's a time and a place for everything Soup, at this time and this place the school expects a certain level of decorum. If you had a kid about to go up to receive the diploma you wouldn't be too happy to have the whole experience drowned out and marred by people whooping like hyenas.

After the ceremony, you can celebrate properly...hell, go on a week long bender with the kid if it takes your fancy just remember to respect other people whilst you're doing it.

Heh... They cheered after the family signed a paper saying they wouldn't. Stupid! LOL. They don't respect everyone else at the ceremony, then the school doesn't respect them... sucks for the girl, but oh well. I'd say the family would learn a lesson from this but I doubt they will.

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I disagree. With as poor as educataion is, these people are roud - let them hoot and hollar, the school should be proud people graduationg, when the noise settles - call the next name, problem solved. The child was ripped off, this will further kill education.

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BS-- as was already mentioned, the ceremony is long enough already. In my class we graduated 125 people. Now if you add cheering for the ones that got no cheers at all, and add additional cheering for the few ass holes that did NOT FOLLOW THE SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS OF WAITING UNTIL THE END TO APPLAUD then I figure you could have added apporx. 30 seconds to each senior in my class. That would add ANOTHER HOUR to a ceremony that was already 3 HOURS LONG!

This particular school shared this information via a contract, and it WAS NOT A SECRET, the people knew beforehand that discipline would be meted out if there was cheering, YET THEY DID IT ANYWAY AND THAT IS DISRESPECTFUL AS HELL.

Is it inane as hell??? Yes....but it was a solution they thought would work. This world is rapidly turning into "me-me-me and the hell with you", and this is what happens when rules are broken.....just as when people break the law. It's a sanction designed to deter the action from happening.

Pretty simple.