Illinois Students Lose Diplomas Over Cheers


G Lion

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students lose diplomas over cheers

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070601/ap_on_re_us/graduation_decorum


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.

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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."
 
Updated:2007-06-02 02:06:59
Illinois Students Lose Diplomas Over Cheers
By JAN DENNIS
AP

GALESBURG, Illinois (June 2) - 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.

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.

.....

"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."

.....
 
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Why do the schools continue this drama? The kids did the work and WILL get the diploma. They won't be denied because of celebratory activity. Waste of time and the aggravation is gonna get somebody hurt. Bad.
 
They used to threaten us with not getting our diploma, but it never came to this.
 
Why do the schools continue this drama? The kids did the work and WILL get the diploma. They won't be denied because of celebratory activity. Waste of time and the aggravation is gonna get somebody hurt. Bad.

They get the right attorney, they will stop that @#$&! :shame:
 
But they shouldn't need to get an attorney. It is a graduation. People are going to get excited. Besides, how can they say without any doubt that she or her family violated the contract. Did the friends, long distance relatives, and neighborhood folks sign a contract too? Did they have a contract for everyone to sign as they entered the building? This is a waste of time and effort and should not be a story. The school system wil cave, because that is what school systems do, but still it should not have come this far.....
 
Updated:2007-06-02 02:06:59
Illinois Students Lose Diplomas Over Cheers
By JAN DENNIS
AP

GALESBURG, Illinois (June 2) - 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.

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.

.....

"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."

.....
The sports thread on Hispanics replacing blacks in baseball, this is why!!!! Why can we not act civilized in situations that require it? And why do we defend all the stupidity that our people do?
The school should keep the diplomas. I see the problems you guys mentioned but it is worth it. I am so tired of my people acting a fool and us justifying it.
Maybe you guys have never seen a graduation as it should be.
 
Why do the schools continue this drama? The kids did the work and WILL get the diploma. They won't be denied because of celebratory activity. Waste of time and the aggravation is gonna get somebody hurt. Bad.
Why do students and relatives continue to act a fool during these diginified events? They should stop before someone gets hurt.
 
I'm assuming they signed this contract. It's not like they didn't know the consequences before they went into the ceremony. Did they think that they were exempt from the conditions of their behavior? I guess just because they are black it is okay to act a fool. Did anyone else hoop and holler or just this particular student's family?

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.
 
But they shouldn't need to get an attorney. It is a graduation. People are going to get excited. Besides, how can they say without any doubt that she or her family violated the contract. Did the friends, long distance relatives, and neighborhood folks sign a contract too? Did they have a contract for everyone to sign as they entered the building? This is a waste of time and effort and should not be a story. The school system wil cave, because that is what school systems do, but still it should not have come this far.....

How do they know for sure which family shouted??? that is the problem to some extent. However every graduation I have attended, you can tell the entire section that was acting stupid and the name called to cause it.

They should go back to issuing 2 invitations and allowing no one else in.
 
same here. they need to cut it out, and let folk enjoy their day, they are done.
You know what if I happen to be sitting right next to betty Smith's family and I do not hear my son Bob smith's name...there is a fight in the stands!!!
 
I'm assuming they signed this contract. It's not like they didn't know the consequences before they went into the ceremony. Did they think that they were exempt from the conditions of their behavior? I guess just because they are black it is okay to act a fool. Did anyone else hoop and holler or just this particular student's family?
Mackg, nice to meet you!!
 
Click here to visit HBCUSportsStore
Re: students lose diplomas over cheers

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070601/ap_on_re_us/graduation_decorum


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.

ADVERTISEMENT

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."
This topic is in small talk. I kind of felt that it should be here.
Oh, bravo for the school. Graduations have become rediculus.
 
The sports thread on Hispanics replacing blacks in baseball, this is why!!!! Why can we not act civilized in situations that require it? And why do we defend all the stupidity that our people do?
The school should keep the diplomas. I see the problems you guys mentioned but it is worth it. I am so tired of my people acting a fool and us justifying it.
Maybe you guys have never seen a graduation as it should be.

Go to bornthrilla's thread on A&T basketball gym fiasco. lol :swink:

But in all seriousness, I don't understand how a school district can enforce this because a group of people could potentially cheer for everyone graduating that may not be family or relatives of the graduate in question. I know here in dallas, they only issue 2 graduation tix for certian HSs due to the large graduating classes and non-availability of room in the basketball arenas, etc.

I know for us (it's tradition :confused: ), every graduating football player would place their fist in the air w/ the thumb sideways after grabbing our fake diploma which caused the frosh football players to "growl" in the stands. lol :lol: They've since stopped that since moving the graduation to texas a&m's campus @ bryan/c.s.
 
It's NO good reason for the school to not give these kids their diplomas.





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.
interesting
:smh::smh:
 
Every ceremony I've been to, they ask the crowd to reserve applause until the end and everyone I've been to ignores this request. Both High School and College.

Give the kids their diploma's and be done.
 
Let that "dignified" crap go. This is a time for celebration and there is no right or wrong way to do that. If your idea of showing honor at this occasion is sitting church mouse quiet then thats fine....if its making as much noise as possible then thats fine too. I wish people would quit with the classist crap.
 
I wasn't present, but I can only go off what they showed on the news. When the young aa lady crossed the stage, all I heard was a few cheers and applause. That was it!!! No dog barking or anything. Now, I might would understand if they got "ignant" but it was a dignified reaction.
:argue2:
 
I know the year I graduated from high school, folks were perculating and Jubliee All'n across the stage. Yeah, hold their diploma, but not because of the family and friends. Like someone else said, they might have some people attending that didn't sign or know about the agreement, but then the child gets held liable.
 
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