CLINTON —
I don’t remember much about my high school graduation, but I’m pretty sure police didn’t haul away any parents in handcuffs.
Unfortunately for a South Carolina girl, she won’t have similar memories from her commencement ceremony.
According to several reports, South Carolina police arrested Shannon Cooper last weekend for cheering for her daughter during graduation ceremonies at South Florence High School in South Carolina. She was escorted out of the building in front of all the graduates, and then sat in a police van outside for the duration of the ceremony.
That seems a little harsh, but I figured it was just one occurrence in the vast array of graduation ceremonies. I was wrong.
Another incident involving excessive cheering occurred in Cincinnati, where a student had his diploma withheld for his family’s rowdy applause.
OK, so this is getting out of hand.
What’s wrong with a little cheering?
I understand that it’s not “fair” for some students to get loud applause while others walk across the stage with near silence. If schools are preparing students for the real world, this is not the way.
Unfortunately no one cheers for me while I sit at my desk on a daily basis, but I don’t need “Big Brother” to install an applause track near my chair so I feel good about myself, just so I can say my job is as important as some sports star or musical act.
For some people, graduating high school is a major step. I never pictured myself without a high school diploma, so it wasn’t that big of a deal for me. But for some, this occasion marks something not seen in their entire family.
So a little — or a lot — of cheering is understandable. School isn’t prison, no matter how much some administrators want it to be.
Luckily, no area schools have stooped to this level of discipline.
Sure, some schools are somehow upset about the rowdy crowds, but once in a while common sense should prevail. There’s no sense in dragging someone out of a commencement ceremony in handcuffs and it’s absurd to deny a student a diploma for their family’s reaction.
The student worked hard to earn the diploma, and the school is stepping out of bounds in this situation.
Hopefully, we won’t have to cover any of these stories in our area in the future. Luckily our school personnel recognize the uniqueness of graduation and can use common sense when hosting this kind of event.
Scott Levine is the Associate Editor of the Clinton Herald.
Opinion
Related Photos
-
Scott Levine
Discussion
LEVINE: Punishment overreaching at graduation ceremonies
- Opinion
-
-
It's a long road ahead for the graduates
Summer is near and that means hundreds of area teens are preparing for likely what will be the biggest move in their young lives. Clinton, Camanche and Fulton, Ill., will hold graduation ceremonies this weekend, meaning high school seniors will leave
-
Programming abounds at Clinton Public Library
Hello Clinton! I’m Holly Youngquist, the new adult programming and outreach librarian at the Clinton Public Library.
- A few issues to be resolved This past week was once again rumored to be the last week for legislators at the Statehouse, but while many of the major budget bills were agreed upon, a few of the most stubborn issues remain to be resolved. The House and Senate have now agreed on h
-
LEVINE: Preparing for another child
With a little more than a month before another child occupies my home, it's becoming more apparent every day that my daughter is ready for her first sibling.
-
Seizure of AP phone records insult to independent press
Distrust of government secrecy has been elevated to an exceptional level with the disclosure the Justice Department covertly examined two months of Associated Press phone records to determine who leaked details to the AP about a foiled terrorist plot.
-
Herald's chicken lady says farewell
Our lives are like the chapters of a book. Each crisp page we turn is like a new day in our lives.
-
LEVINE: Access to information vital in society
When a Clinton County judge ruled in 2012 that the Clinton City Council violated the open meetings law, it sent a direct message to current City Council members that operating in secret would not be tolerated.
-
Mayor gives reasons for not signing Humane Society agreement
The agreement that was approved by the Clinton City Council at the April 23 meeting between the city of Clinton and the Clinton Humane Society went into effect Tuesday without the signature of the mayor. With any action the City Council takes the ma
- Dutch Days reflects community steeped in tradition It started back in 1974 with a Dutch dinner organized by the Fulton Community Christian School women's auxiliary. In the years that followed, the dinner continued and the event grew into what is now known as Dutch Days, expanding to include downtown
-
READER'S LETTER: Help letter carriers 'Stamp Out Hunger'
Every year the National Association of Letter Carriers joins with its local community food banks to coordinate the nations' largest one day food drive. More than 1,400 branches across the country participate to help feed the hungry. With every bag,
- More Opinion Headlines
-
