Five Graduates Denied Diploma (for Cheering)
Jun 2nd, 2007 by Alex
Graduation is a time of joy, reflection, but most of all thankful that you made it through four years of torture. However, for five students, graduation means absolutely nothing, because they’re still waiting for their diplomas.
Why? Their friends and family were cheering for them during the ceremony. Five students from Galesburg High School are still waiting for their diplomas because of the incident. A month before the ceremony, the students and parents signed a contract to act in a “dignified†way. People that crossed the line were warned they could be denied their 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 policy started after 2005, where hoots and hollers drowned out most of the ceremony. After telling them to quiet down, fights started to break out. This issue has caused some controversy with accusations that the children were denied because of their race. Four of them are black and one of them is Hispanic.
The school said the students still can get their diplomas if they complete eight hours of public service and do chores for the district.
Gayles’ mother says she will go against the district, “The noise “was like three seconds. It was like, ‘Yay,’ and that was it,” Carolyn Gayles said.â€
With the ability to cheer gone now, it’s no telling when cheering at all will be eliminated.
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