At Galesburg High, Kids Are Kids and School Officials Are Out of Control
Last Week's Top Scrooge
Full of tears, anticipation, silliness, some pomp and circumstance, and yes, a few outbursts of obnoxious cheers. All part of the graduation game...but apparently not at Galesburg High School in Illinois.
Five students were initially denied diplomas after cheers erupted when their names were called at the grad ceremony and emerged empty-handed Tuesday from a meeting with school administrators.
The students and their families met briefly with Galesburg High School officials at an administration building, but they were again denied the diplomas because no one apologized to school officials for the cheers at the May 27 ceremony.
Just yesterday, Galesburg High School officials reversed their decision and said they would review a get-tough decorum policy.
The diplomas were withheld because the school said cheering violated a school policy aimed at restoring graduation decorum. The students still were considered graduates on paper, but they didn't have a diploma.
Initially officials had said they would not hand over the keepsake diplomas unless they received apologies. But the stalemate over the diplomas and the media attention (by now that must mean blogging as well) it attracted have taken valuable time and energy, they said.
"It is time for the good of the community, the school district, the families and the students involved to move on," Superintendent Gene Denisar said in a written statement.
Nyeaaaaaaaa-aaaaaah! (buzzer sound)
Not good enough! You, yes you...school officials at Galesburg High receive the Last Week's Top Scrooge award.
Reports are that there were no apologies to the students, who were unreasonably tagged for their friends' and families' actions and that the diplomas were unceremoniously given by a school staffer...not the principal.
I'm all for decorum...but rules that include stupid punishments don't sit well with me. And rules that attempt to squelch random acts of silliness are even more ridiculous.
Earlier this week, I called the high school officials "Diploma Nazis" in reference to the soup vendor in Seinfeld who dropped the line "No soup for you!" on a frequent whim, thus being known as the "Soup Nazi".
Today, I'm calling the principal and his gang: Last Week's Top Scrooge(s).
Besides, it fits with this column's premise.
_______________
Past Scrooges:
Can Hugo Chavez go down on YouTube, blogs?
Sex, drugs and the ol' 'You're going to do it anyway' excuse
A nation traumatized by Paris Hilton
Fleeing to the satellite waves, radio jocks Opie and Anthony reach even lower
Parents' child abuse includes dog cage, shock collar
Alec Baldwin tries cleaning pigsty with "Apology Tour 2007"
This week: no point in poking fun at boneheads and blunders
Knuckle-headed Dom Imus and Nebraska woman tie for top dishoner
Woman's home up for grabs as part of online hoax
This Week's Top Scrooge can be seen every week at TheScroogeReport.com.
Published by Alexander
Author of TheScroogeReport.com. Published in Los Angeles Times, Press Enterprise, ASSIST News, and more. View profile
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2 Comments
Post a CommentThe interviewer tries to help them present their point, but they completely fumble it up and are incapable of explaining why the rule that ALL 395 other graduates' families followed should not apply to them.
Weeks before the Ceremony we were given multiple warnings explaining that with the 300 students graduating the school officials would expect parents and family to hold their applause until the end. No one complained before hand. There was no fuss made by any student to the media. We even signed a document stating we understood and agreed to follow the above rule. The school Officials were more than fair in their handling of the situation. During the ceremony 5 families carried on loudly ignoring the warning from both the letters home the weeks prior and the announcement before the names were called. To not follow through with the consequence would be irresponsible of the officials. If there had been an actual reason for the 5 students to contest the verdict I wouldn't be so adamant that this article is in the wrong. Watch the ABC clip featuring the students and their mothers. They don't have any logical argument whatsoever and they sound ignorant. The interviewer tries to hel