It is an occupational hazard that I have been to far more commencement ceremonies than most people could ever dream of (or have nightmares about) attending. At every one I have attended it has been asked of the audience that they hold their applause. At every one I have attended, this request is ignored by some members of the audience.
I have long thought the following:
1) Yes, it would be nice if everyone could keep politely quiet and let everyone hear the names as they are announced. (There is one sorority that has some high-pitched cheer/noise they make whenever one of their sisters crosses the stage that I could live without, for example).
and
2) It is an emotional, special day that may make it hard for some folks to contain themselves, so let people celebrate. (And for the most part, the exuberance in question is not really all the disruptive).
This is all context setting so that I can note how ridiculous this is: Family served arrest warrants for ‘disturbing the peace’ at graduation
Four people who cheered — allegedly excessively — for their loved ones at a high school graduation ceremony in Senatobia, Mississippi, say they’ve now been slapped with an excessive punishment.
Two weeks after watching her niece walk across the stage at Senatobia High School’s graduation ceremony on May 21, Ursula Miller received a warrant for her arrest for disturbing the peace.
"I just called her name out. ‘Lakaydra,’ Just like that," Miller told CNN affiliate WREG.
Now, Miller said, she has to appear in court or could face at least a $500 fine.
Henry Walker waved a towel and yelled, "You did it baby," to his sister as he walked out of the ceremony. He is another one of the four who also received the warrant.
"It’s crazy," Walker told WREG. "The fact that I might have to bond out of jail, pay court costs … for expressing my love — it’s ridiculous, man."
Yes, it is.
Although I will say: if we can collect $500 from every person at a graduation ceremony who yells out someone’s name or the equivalent of “you did it baby” them we might not have a deficit.
If people are truly disruptive at such an event, pause and have security remove them. However, if you have to wait weeks to impose a fine, then I am guessing they weren’t really all that disruptive on the day in question.
