Prom and Graduation season is here along with all the antics that come with these rites of passage. The Superintendant for Senatobia Mississippi schools, Jay Foster, warned the audience to hold their cheers during the ceremony so it would have an appropriate amount of decorum I suppose. What strikes me during these ceremonies is that the presiding dignitaries give it far more pomp than the circumstance warrants.
Sure, high school graduation is important. Without the HS Diploma, career outlooks are dim, but seriously; it's high school. It's the first real graduation many people experience and for some, it's the only "real" graduation they experience. The abject sterility of my daughter's high school graduation stays with me. It's been seven years. The best part of that mind numbingly, boring, waste of time, was when one student, the first in his family to graduate from high school, ever, made sure their grandson, son, nephew knew they were proud of his accomplishment. His fellow graduates also knew of he was the first of his family to ever graduate from high school and they in their last fuck you to their high school's administration, joined his family in a tremendous few minutes of hooting, hollering and joyous noise for this one young man's rite of passage. The school's vice principal was not amused. She added to the general disorder by impotently calling for order from the podium, which she got after the crowd cheered themselves out. The ceremony returned to correctitude and the spiritless, proletarian commencement proceeded at a glacial pace.
Although I understand the "rules" telling family and friends that they don't have the right to express their First Amendment Rights of Freedom of Expression, I'm not sure they are enforceable. I'm not sure they should be enforced. Let 'er rip! Shout and enjoy the fact your child, niece or nephew is graduating from high school. This ceremony should be for the children and it should appeal to them. So, it takes a little longer to report everyone's name - may I suggest turning up the mic volume to be heard over the celebrations. The "adults" need to stand aside and be guided in these graduation ceremonies. The stodgy, platitudinousness of my daughter's high school graduation stays with me seven years later. The most memorable part was unscripted, unsupervised and animated.
To that end, Jay Foster, being thwarted in delivering a pitiful, inglorius graduation ceremony utilized his power of being the Superintendent of Senatobia Schools and had four people removed from the High School graduation for being too boisterous during his solemn ceremony. Ok, maybe he was within his rights on that, but he then abused his power and filed official complaints of Disturbing the Peace against Ursula Miller and Henry Walker (two of four people asked to leave) and possibly against the other two as well, but they haven't come forward. Miller and Walker received a warrant threatening jail time and a fine of $500 for cheering at an event that is a celebration. Shame on Jay Foster, his ego and his pride. So your nose got tweaked, Jay Foster, dude; deal. No one got hurt. Drop your petty complaint. Learn to make this ceremony better for your students and their families and move on. Listen to your community, learn and become a member of your community.
As reported by News 3, WREG
I can't get the video to embed, but you can read about this at RawStory too.
Here's an image of the warrant issued to Ursula Miller:
PH: 662-562-4897 Email: jfoster@senatobiaschools.com