Is there anything worse than HS graduation season?

[cleller]

The last several years we've been bouncing back and forth between the Lloyd Noble Center and the Mabee Center in Tulsa for grad ceremonies for nieces/nephews attending Norman North or Union.

If you've never been, you've been spared a lively evening. Nothing quite as noble and stately as a modern HS graduation in a giant arena. It has all the formality of a tractor pull. Hoards of people dressed in everything from suits to pajamas saving seats for hours, then talking, bumping and eating thru the ceremony.

Dull speeches from administrators and valley girl students followed by people screaming like they won a lottery when little Johnny's name is called. (He's too far away to actually see).

Thank goodness this year the only one I gotta go to is for Mount St. Mary's school in OKC.

Shouldn't the big schools decide graduation is too big a security risk, and just stream it online? Virtual graduation is the wave of the future.

[achiro]

Send a card, money if you love them enough, tell them you're proud of them, then go fishin.

[SicEmBaylor]

The last several years we've been bouncing back and forth between the Lloyd Noble Center and the Mabee Center in Tulsa for grad ceremonies for nieces/nephews attending Norman North or Union.

If you've never been, you've been spared a lively evening. Nothing quite as noble and stately as a modern HS graduation in a giant arena. It has all the formality of a tractor pull. Hoards of people dressed in everything from suits to pajamas saving seats for hours, then talking, bumping and eating thru the ceremony.

Dull speeches from administrators and valley girl students followed by people screaming like they won a lottery when little Johnny's name is called. (He's too far away to actually see).

Thank goodness this year the only one I gotta go to is for Mount St. Mary's school in OKC.

Shouldn't the big schools decide graduation is too big a security risk, and just stream it online? Virtual graduation is the wave of the future.

I never attended a HS graduation outside of my own school until my twin cousins graduated from Purcell. I had never seen anything like it at FTG. It was much as you described only people actually brought those handheld fog horns and blasted them every time the person they were there to see strolled onto the "stage."

FTG has a knuckle-dragger from time to time to be sure, but our graduations were highly scripted and evidently very formal compared to other area schools. I can't imagine someone bringing a foghorn to one of our graduations. Most people I remember were in suits. There was not a lot of noise from the peanut gallery except for polite applause when someone received their diploma.

One of those same cousins is about to graduate from the traditional family alma mater -- OSU. I have, thus far in my life, avoided OSU graduations. I've been to plenty of Baylor graduations (not my own), so I'm somewhat excited to compare the two. I think the over/under of foghorns at an OSU graduation will probably be somewhere around 30.

[C&CDean]

The day my 5th son graduated high school was a grand day indeed. Last ****ing time to sit through that horse****...until grandbabies start graduating. I've got a break for several years now.

[cleller]

I never attended a HS graduation outside of my own school until my twin cousins graduated from Purcell. I had never seen anything like it at FTG. It was much as you described only people actually brought those handheld fog horns and blasted them every time the person they were there to see strolled onto the "stage."

FTG has a knuckle-dragger from time to time to be sure, but our graduations were highly scripted and evidently very formal compared to other area schools. I can't imagine someone bringing a foghorn to one of our graduations. Most people I remember were in suits. There was not a lot of noise from the peanut gallery except for polite applause when someone received their diploma.

One of those same cousins is about to graduate from the traditional family alma mater -- OSU. I have, thus far in my life, avoided OSU graduations. I've been to plenty of Baylor graduations (not my own), so I'm somewhat excited to compare the two. I think the over/under of foghorns at an OSU graduation will probably be somewhere around 30.

The foghorn thing apparently got so bad that schools have now been actively warning not to bring them. Of course, at Lloyd Noble and the Mabee Center, you've got to be screened to get in, so the horns have pretty much disappeared.

Nothing like getting there an hour early to find a seat, and trying to sit there with a book or magazine while people all around you are standing around waving there arms and yelling at their cousins/sisters/parents who can never hear them anyway.

Then you've got the old timers who've been drug into the mess who are tired from walking and climbing, and bewildered at the circus of poor conduct playing out in front of them.

[badger]

My sister in law was a graduate of the OU College of Arts and Sciences and was adamant that she attend her graduation ceremony. There's hundreds (if not thousands) of graduates and that was a lesser, fall graduation ceremony, not the spring monstrosity.

Fortunately, I don't think baby baj will be a Jenks or Union student, so I will be spared those giant school district's ceremonies... but things could change. Maybe we'll move to one of those infamous giant Texas districts? :eek:

[MsProudSooner]

The only thing worse than the high school graduations described is an 8th grade graduation where it's obvious that for some families, this is the highest academic honor ever attained.

[SicEmBaylor]

8th grade graduations are stupid as hell. We didn't have them -- thank God.

An 8th grade graduation ranks just above a "Texas Football Champions" ring in being utterly f'n retarded.

[rock on sooner]

Two great nieces...one in Platteville, WI (college) and one in St Louis, Mo
(HS) and another after that (two years down the road) then wait on my
grandkid(s). Ceremonies are a week apart. Family all supported mine
so turnabout is fair play.

Sicem, I had an 8th grade graduation...many years ago...last ceremony
that 2 room school had...seemed kind of important then, but not so much
now (unless the school is closing.)

[SanJoaquinSooner]

8th grade graduations are stupid as hell. We didn't have them -- thank God.

An 8th grade graduation ranks just above a "Texas Football Champions" ring in being utterly f'n retarded.

7th/8th grade evening band concerts are a close second.

[achiro]

Go. Fishing.

[ouwasp]

My wife teaches at a high school. It is really suggested the staff attend. So I'll usually go with her and sit in the special section of the gym floor reserved for staff. Since I taught many of these students some yrs earlier in middle school, I'm okay with going.

Another teacher and I developed a game to play during the endless droning of names. We pick a number, say it is X. Then we mark a bulletin on X students that we believe will have one of those stupid air horns blasted when their name is called. If we predict correctly, we receive 2 pts, a miss and we lose a pt. Also, we pick a "ringer", one that is believed to be certain to get the air horn blast. The ringer is worth 4 pts I think. Don't remember the penalty for missing the ringer. We'll have to discuss that next month during Pomp and Circumstance.

The variables that go into choosing the X kids are all over... certain socioeconomic groups, perhaps but not consistent...was the kid an idiot in class, a rebel? hmm... likely......very good looking? (can't count on that)....a certain ethnic group? (not reliable).... has a lot of older siblings in the crowd? probably..... first in the family to graduate from high school? ringer... teen mom? more often than not... child of a teacher? not happening, (not yet anyway)

We may need to introduce a new category this yr: Wild Card... the kid that doesn't seem to fit in a certain category, yet gets the horn. a good bet for WC might be a kid toward the end of the ceremony when folks have loosened up some, and the white-trash honkers are trying to one-up each other. Something to consider.

Have fun with the game. I don't remember having a name for it. Maybe need to trademark this, it really does help to pass the time.

[KantoSooner]

amuse yourself by lookinig at all the happy, smiling faces and imagine the unbriidled horror that will soon overtake them. The cheerleaders knocked up and left by their worthless boyfriends. The jocks idling away decades as junior store clerks, waiting for death to release them. The mousy girl who wasn't quite able to cut it in high school and won't be able to in the balance of life either.
It's dark, but it passes the time.

[Petro-Sooner]

Kanto and Wasp. That's good stuff.