If it hadn't been such a rude, crude crowd. And we wonder sometimes at kids' actions! I wonder no more after last night's observations! They have only learned what they have been taught!

All throughout a child's school career - and beyond - there are PLENTY of occasions for the kids, and their parents/supporters, to get together and be wild and whacky. There's all kinds of occasions when it is appropriate to jump up and down, blow airhorns, have contests to see who can make the most disruptive noises, and raise hell in general. It goes with all kinds of sporting events, bonfires, rallies, competitions, and the like.

But dammit not on graduation!

Those kids have worked hard for graduation, as have their parents. And the LEAST - the VERY LEAST - those kids and their parents deserve, is to be able to hear their kids' names called when they walk through the line, and to hear what the kids have to say when they make their speeches.

But damned if that was going to be allowed to happen last night at RCHS graduation.

The rudeness of a literally unending murmur of people insisting on having their side conversations WHILE kids were trying to say what they had to say was absolutely unending. It was impossible to hear most of anything the kids had to say in their speeches or their invocation and benediction because the so-called adults in the gym were too self-absorbed to shut their mouths and pay attention.

Apparently, Mushy, the answer to your question about do we respects ourselves and others any more is a resounding "Not just no, but HELL no!"

Given all the opportunities for the students and their families and supporters to get together and let their hair down and carry on in any legal fashion, there ought to be ONE occasion when there is allowed to exist a time of dignity and respect - and the graduation ceremony is that time.

Had I been any one of the three students who had obviously worked VERY hard on their speeches last night, I would have stood there, leaned into the microphone, and said, "I'm sorry to interrupt your chats. I'll wait till you're done, because I have something to say." There is no excuse for the kind of behavior that prevented those kids' words from being clearly heard. There was a PA system that perhaps could have been tweaked, but, truth be told, it had plenty of wattage to have made the speeches heard had there not been such incessant jabbering amongst the crowd. Several ballsy folks on occasion got fed up with it and tried to get it stopped with a fairly loud "shhhhhh!", but that was ineffective. Bless them for trying!

The faculty member who was going to read the names of all the graduates clearly requested that, out of respect for all the graduates and their families, all applause and appreciative response should be held until the end of the list. Boy! Was he peeing into the wind! You know, when parents and friends go to a kid's graduation, the very least they can expect is that they be able to hear their graduate's name read as they cross the stage to get their diploma. But that was not to be, as there seemed to be contests as to who could make the oudest, longest lasting, and most disruptive before, during, and after each name.

I'm sorry, but I don't want to hear any excuses like, "Well that's just the way we are in these parts..." That's BS and all it does is excuse plain self-centered rudeness and callous indifference to others.

And it teaches out kids - especially the younger ones - SUCH an example!
:-(

Sadly,
RB

People can't leave their cell phones in the car during church and refuse to stop for the duration of the National Anthem. Why would a high school graduation be any different?

We have definately out grown the RCHS gym for these events.