SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Girls Varsity Soccer Fort Mill Graduation

The story is going national. Here's today's Rock Hill Herald:

http://www.heraldonline.com/109/story/620540.html

....and here is MSNBC.com:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25083792/?GT1=43001

The good news is...one is unlikely to be arrested for merely being tossed out of a soccer match in Clover HS graduation is much more important!

There's a huge difference between warning people they would be "removed" and having them jailed and charged with disorderly conduct. "Removed" implies being escorted out of the facility and put on your way. Seems like a massive overreaction to me, if it's true they were just cheering.

Way to encourage achievement, Fort Mill. I'm sure this will get all the "at risk" students and families totally invested in the education system.

Clover had it's graduation the next day, same place. The cops were posted on the railings as if Bush were speaking. Doors were bolted shut. It was a bit disconcerting. My Mom was removed for a recurring cough. But she was able to watch from the remote hook up at the jail.

so what will happen at next year's graduation? More cheering or less? could they arrest 100+ if they all cheered?

A lot of that may depend on whether the disorderly conduct charge is upheld in court; if it doesn't, then the credibility will be shot. That may be an open invitation to test the system even further. Would have been much safer (not to mention more appropriate) to simply have people escorted out as the letter seemed to warn.

Why can't people just follow rules and authority. My oldest graduated last week from RHS and some of the parents and siblings are just plain rude and disrespectful. Ever wonder where the kids get it from?

Having attended a disproportionate number of graduations. . .there appears to be a growing tension between schools/colleges and the individual families who cannot grasp that when ANYONE yells, it detracts from the next name. . .

To be honest, the shouts are terribly rude. . .but I doubt arrests are the answer. . .I think the whole concept of graduations should be revamped. . .just march the graduates in a line to receive their diplomas and hand-shakes without the name calling (tedious and the source of the problem). . .each grad can then cross a staging area when each can wave or whatever and anyone can cheer as needed. . .

I don't know...I think for a lot of graduates and their families, hearing that name called is the most significant part of the experience; I sit through a graduation every year, and regardless of how much it would speed things up, I'd hate to see that taken away from them. I think that's actually the main problem with the cheering; it doesn't stop anyone from seeing the graduates walk across the stage, but it does keep families from hearing their graduate's name.

I went to the West Ashley High School graduation last week; they marched about 380 students across the stage. There was about a 6-8 second pause between each name, which allowed for a short cheer from time to time that didn't drown out the next name. The downside was that with that many students, the graduation took about an hour and 45 minutes, but that also included some singing presentations and other awards...overall, I thought it went well, nobody missed hearing a name called, and families were able to react to seeing their student receive a diploma without reprisal. I think there really is a happy medium between complete repression and disruptive chaos...

Coach Chass—

and that's why the yelling causes a problem. . .hard one. . .all graduations are too long. . .at FU we grad over 600. . .pausing would be a nightmare with time. . .

what about names projected on a screen or some such. . .hmmm