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Marc Giauque reporting Some of Utah's largest high schools will hold commencement exercises this week, some with classes of more than seven hundred. That poses some unique challenges for administrators trying to keep some decorum at graduation ceremonies.
Mike Kelly hopes his son’s graduation this year will be different than his daughter’s in 2004. He says a huge cheering section in front of him rose up when another graduate’s name was announced.
Mike Kelly: ”All we saw was the back of their heads, and all we heard was their cheering when my daughters name was called.” There were air horns and screaming and there was a big group of people about twenty of them and they all jumped up and cheered.”
A lost moment for Kelly who, by the way, does think it’s appropriate to cheer.
Mike Kelly: ”When it takes away from the experience of the other people there to visit, then it crosses the line.”
Decorum at ceremonies is something Alta High School Principal Mont Widerberg has seen change in the last couple of years.
Mont Widerberg: ”One of our assistant principals said that someone was yelling out their students name during one of the speeches.”
But he thinks it goes beyond school.
Mont Widerberg: ”My personal opinion I’ve seen a change even that it’s you go to a dance concert, or you listen to the academy awards, or something on television, the cat calls, and the you whos, ect., have come around where they weren’t there a few years ago.”
Widerberg says at his school, for the most part, the crowds have been fairly well behaved. But this year, he’s dressing teachers in graduation gowns and putting them near the students in hopes of making the event a bit more formal.
Mont Widerberg: ”They will come in very last were hoping that the kids will recognize them, I would hope that the kids would applaud them as they come in.”
Widerberg is also relying on some advice from a former colleague, who told him the crowd is only as good, as what’s in front of it.
Mont Widerberg: ”I still believe that is part of what our challenge is to present a good program.”
Others believe there’s nothing wrong with a festive atmosphere at graduation. But Widerberg says that can wait until later.
The Jordan District also has a strict policy on what graduates can and can not wear with their caps and gowns.
