A Return to Decorum During Graduation
This past Thursday, I attended my son’s graduation ceremony at George Mason University and was disappointed by the behavior displayed both by parents and the students.
When the ceremony kicked off with Pomp and Circumstance at EagleBank Arena, I fully expected the audience to take their seats and quiet down. However, the parents and families continued to talk above the music.
I thought okay, they just didn’t hear the music. Surely they would quiet down when the Dean of the School of Engineering and Computing gave his opening remarks. Much to my surprise, the parents continued to talk as if the ceremony hadn’t started yet.
They also didn’t quiet down during the keynote speaker’s speech and the student’s speech. The parents continued to talk to each other, talk on their phones, and walk in and out of the arena to the concession stand.
And of course, parents screamed when their child received his or her diploma, making it near impossible to hear the name of the student called right after. I was starting to get really annoyed.
However, I really became angry when I noticed about halfway through the ceremony that a significant number of seats were empty among those receiving their diplomas. I then noticed that most of the students were receiving their diplomas and leaving the arena. So were their parents.
So, as area schools begin to hold their commencement exercises this week, I would like to remind students, family, and friends that graduation is a solemn ceremony.
Please show respect for the students, the faculty, and family of those graduating.
Please keep talking to a minimum, especially when the faculty and students are giving their speeches. They worked really hard preparing those speeches, and some of us would like to actually hear them.
Please don’t scream and blow airhorns when your child receives his or her diploma. It’s disrespectful to the family of the student that comes next; they can’t hear the name of their child as he or she walks across the stage.
Also, please refrain from using your cell phones during the ceremony. It could be distracting to those sitting around you.
And for goodness sake, please stay throughout the entire ceremony.
I will close with this reminder. Remember, graduation is not just about you and your child. Graduation is a time for the community to gather together to celebrate the accomplishments of the entire student body. Please give the students, the faculty, and parents the respect they deserve.
Chris Koehler
Fredericksburg
