Carey Dillinger, June, 1995
The Daily Commercial
Decorum is one of those things that we do not think that much about until we witness a lack of it. There are other words that convey the same meaning, words such as: etiquette, propriety, formality, protocol, convention, custom, and what most of us call plain old fashioned good manners.
There are places and activities that call for us to be on our best behavior. Places like church, court, and the schoolroom come immediately to mind. Activities such as weddings, funerals, trials, and math class would call for, even demand, our best manners. Yet the behavior exhibited by many at this year's graduation ceremony at Leesburg High School left much to be desired. This year's ceremony was marred by episodes ranging from an off-the-cuff speech by a class officer with a personal axe to grind to graduates literally rolling in the aisles during the service.
What some members of the audience , as well as the graduates, failed to realize was that the ceremony was not just for their child and for them, but indeed for every family member, friend, faculty member and graduate present. This fact demands that some semblance of decorum be followed, so that every graduate could experience his or her place in the limelight. This special time was needlessly denied to many at this year's ceremony. Needlessly, because everyone of us present at the ceremony had the ability to sit quietly when silence was mandated.
The top honor at any graduation goes to the valedictorian. Part of this honor includes a speech. Unfortunately for our valedictorian, some of his classmates chose to inflate and throw beach balls in the middle of his address, thus stealing his well deserved moment in the limelight.
For the individual graduate, the walk across the stage to receive his or her diploma is a moment to be remembered and cherished for a lifetime. For parents and loved ones, seeing that moment and hearing that name read over the public address system holds equal value. Too bad that this moment was stolen away by rude and uncaring classmates who refused to return to their seats, choosing instead to mill around in the aisles and visit with one another. It is a shame that many in the audience chose to ape the raucous behavior exhibited on the field, contributing to the denial of other graduates and parents having their place in the limelight.
Another honor bestowed on a member of the senior class is leading the benediction or closing prayer. This year, members of the audience chose to storm the field before the conclusion of the service, denying the one chosen to lead the closing prayer the quiet he needed to fulfill that responsibility.
The principal of the school usually enjoys a threefold distinction at graduation. He makes the opening remarks, hands out the diplomas and confers the degrees. To confer the degrees takes only a few seconds at the conclusion of the ceremony and involves the traditional moving of the tassel from one side to the other by the graduates upon the instruction of the principal. This happy tradition fell by the wayside this year because it was scheduled to occur directly after the benediction.
As a participant in this year's ceremony, I wish to take this public opportunity to send out my heartfelt love,sympathy, and apologies to the those in attendance that were expecting a joyful, happy event, coupled with some feeling of reverence for the occasion. I know that many in attendance were as disappointed as I was and hope that this type of debacle will not be repeated at any graduation in the future.
It is up to us as parents, teachers, school administrators, class sponsors and especially students of the class of 1996 to begin now to make plans so that the next Leesburg High School graduation ceremony will be the kind of occasion that can be remembered with pride and affection. It is of the utmost importance that the graduating class be allowed input as to how the ceremony will be performed. It would not be unrealistic to allow them to design the entire service with guidance from their sponsor and perhaps an administrator, a teacher of their choice, and a parent or two. This summer would not be too early to begin the planning. It would then be up to the student committee members, along with the senior class officers, to "sell" the ceremony to the senior class. This approach would cause the majority of the graduates to feel that it is indeed their graduation and not something staged by the adults for the them to "like it or lump it." Obviously, the seniors chose to "lump it" this year!
With the seniors satisfied, it is now up to the school officials and parents to keep those in the audience under a token amount of control. It is the opinion of this writer that some folks would behave at these events, if they knew how they were supposed to behave. With that in mind, it would not be inappropriate for someone to proceed the graduates to the site and "warm-up" the crowd. That is, give a short talk on acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Even though printed programs are given out to those in attendance it would be effective if the program was reviewed with the audience prior to the entrance of the graduating class. These remarks could be concluded by pointing out exactly when it would be appropriate to "storm the field."
The high school graduation service ranks right up there with your wedding day, the birth of your first child, and the day you decide to fully pursue your religious beliefs, as one of the most memorable and important days in your life. Being able to recall these turning points in your life with pride, affection and joy will sure beat the visions of beach balls, soap bubbles, renegade audience members and a fine young man trying to lead a public prayer over pure pandemonium.
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