CHRISTOPHER CHUNG / PD
Marine Pvt. Steven Kiernan tries on his dress blues for the first time Thursday evening at his home in Petaluma. Kiernan will wear his uniform under his cap and gown during Petaluma High School's graduation ceremony.
Posted on 06/03/2005 9:42:07 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
New Marine Steven Kiernan has agreed to accept school rules governing graduation next week at Petaluma High School, ending a dispute that brought hundreds of angry calls, letters and e-mails to Principal Mike Simpson.
Kiernan, 17, who graduated Wednesday from Marine boot camp in San Diego, will wear a cap and gown over his Marine dress blues at the high school's commencement June 11. The teen completed high school requirements early to attend boot camp, and his family had sought to forego the cap and gown so he could walk at graduation in uniform.
But Kiernan said his respect for his school, classmates and principal made a handshake preferable to a standoff.
"Mr. Simpson is a good man, and he has my respect. I want the spotlight off me and back on my fellow graduates who have all accomplished big things," Kiernan said.
At graduation, Kiernan will be seated in one of the front rows, among fellow students who have earned special recognition. When the name Steven Joseph Kiernan is called, the title, "private, U.S. Marine Corps," will follow. He will not yank off his cap and gown during the ceremony or call attention to himself, he said.
Following his graduation from Marine boot camp, Kiernan flew home to try and resolve the controversy that swirled around his high school graduation.
On Thursday morning, he headed to Simpson's office with his mother, Kim.
Simpson has received a steady stream of nasty phone calls, letters and e-mails over his firm stance on caps and gowns for commencement. Other letter writers, while praising Kiernan's service, were supportive of the principal's decision, as was the school board.
"I wanted to meet as fast as possible, so all this negative attention Mr. Simpson was getting would end. I really felt there was no winning or losing, so we came to an agreement," Kiernan said.
Simpson said he's glad the issue is resolved.
"I'm feeling relieved that the truth of the matter was addressed. At no time did the district ever say he couldn't wear his dress blues and yet, I received hundreds of letters, hundreds of e-mails, saying, 'Let the kid wear his uniform!' " Simpson said.
Kiernan said he apologized to Simpson for any stress he experienced defending district policy.
"I totally accepted Steven's apology. Steven is a great kid," Simpson said.
With boot camp behind him, the controversy resolved and high school graduation ahead, Kiernan said he plans to relax and eat his mom's home cooking.
"I'm so proud of him for the way he handled himself. He's really matured," said his mother. "The Marines taught him how to clean everything like crazy, so I'm going to put him to work. I'm going to let him clean the house."
Marine Pvt. Steven Kiernan tries on his dress blues for the first time Thursday evening at his home in Petaluma. Kiernan will wear his uniform under his cap and gown during Petaluma High School's graduation ceremony.
The Uniform of the Day is cap and gown. Live with it.
Agreed, rules is rules. But he cap rip off the "pomp and circumstance" and walk proudly out of the hall in full dress blues. I'd like to be there for that!
I agree. This is about Graduating from High School..not the Marines. I assume he got to wear his Marine Uniform when he graduated from military school. I thought his job was to follow orders...The orders of the graduation day is cap and gown. Period.
Note who's the more mature,polished, disciplined and obedient person: the 19 year old Marine or "adult " administrators.
Kiernan said he apologized to Simpson for any stress he experienced defending district policy.
"I totally accepted Steven's apology. Steven is a great kid," Simpson said.
Huh?
Not only that, but the graduates do take of their caps and gowns after the ceremony and attend parties, and other functions in their dress clothes. He will be seen in his uniform. This is the right thing to do.
"Agreed, rules is rules. But he cap rip off the "pomp and circumstance" and walk proudly out of the hall in full dress blues. I'd like to be there for that!"
He's already proven he is special...nobody is going to take off their Marine uniform to reveal a cap and gown.....
I suspect there are some "lurking" males teens that will be purple with envy and admiration. Maybe they'll accidentally feel the first stirrings of pride in something other than themselves.
In this case the proper uniform is cap and gown. Why is that so hard for this Marine to accept? One would think that after boot camp he would know being in the proper uniform means.
That's right, by custom. In defense of our nation's defenders, we should make it law. The military uniform should be proper attire in all circumstances.
Wayyyy back when I graduated law school, two of our class were military and wore their uniforms.
My understanding from them is that they are NOT permitted to wear their gown over a military uniform. There is some form of military regulation. They simple draped the hood over one arm and then the "hooding" was a simple transfer to the other arm. The only upset came from the leftover hippie law professors who had hidden in canaduh.
This is no different than a military man wearing his dress uniform at his wedding rather than a tuxedo.
Sadly I think there will have to be a law to protect those serving in the military from being subjected to this BS.
G-d one could hope so. But this is a high school in the SF Bay Area, most of these kids have had multiple years of their teachers telling them how wrong the USA is. But this kid is well on his way, my congrats to him.
Absolutely...at both my daughter's college commencements..all ROTC officers wore their uniforms..BTW.be real kewl if the Marines just happened to stage a "flyover" over the graduation ceremony...
A violation of MCO P1020.34F
It's hard to believe that 2nd Battalion Hotel Company spawned this turd.
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