[politicalmerc]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hate little Despot Bureaucrats!!!

[1rudeboy]

We need to commission a poll: who is the biggest drama queen, the superintendent, the kid, or the mom?

[politicalmerc]

In case you agree with me.

CONTACT INFO FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO PROTEST:

Superintendent Suzanne Lukas:
suzanne_lukas@sad6.k12.me.us
Phone 207-929-9108

Principal Beth Schultz:
beth_schultz@sad6.k12.me.us
bschultz@sad6.k12.me.us

Assistant Principal, Lori Napolitano
lnapolitano@sad6.k12.me.us

Assistant Principal, Kevin Harrington
kharrington@sad6.k12.me.us

Assistant Principal/Activities Director, Mike LeGage
mlegage@sad6.k12.me.us

http://www.sad6.k12.me.us/
District Administration

[Loyal Buckeye]

A student at a graduation we attended did a cartwheel on stage.

[Houghton M.]

Actually, as a veteran of many, many graduation ceremonies, I applaud the principal. At every darn one of these ceremonies people are told to hold their applause or in various other ways avoid insisting on narcissistic displays.

Unless the warnings are backed by action, nitwits like this boob will continue to flout the rules. Whistles, blowing kisses and similar antic prolong the agony for everyone.

Why can’t the little dear just climb the steps, walk decorously, play his part and receive his reward? Why does everyone have to be a celebrity?

I say, give the principal a raise.

Give the kid his stupid diploma in a month or two, after the lesson has had time to sink in. He obviously hasn’t yet learned his lesson, so he doesn’t deserve his diploma—yet.

[Houghton M.]

My bad. Give the superintendent a raise, not the principal.

[cricket]

If there is anyone out there who still thinks Liberalism is not a mental disorder; please let us here from you...and little despot bureaucrats are no more than useful idiots.

Stood next to a man in a checkout line and specialty/decorative toothbrushes were sitting on the counter. He picked one up; turned package around and then asked; since apparently he could not find the 'seal'; if these were approved by the American Dental Association. . .

Knew immediately this man was a pathetic; mind-numbed - if not brain dead - Liberal. He then added; that if they were not; they should not be allowed to be sold. Yes; folks, they cannot but help, give themselves away.

[airborne]

State run media.

State run education system.

Coming soon - State run medicine.

I never thought, in a million years, I would say this but...

I wish McCain had won. :^(

[devane617]

I’m like...Mom!!! Like what the hell you upset about? Like, just chill....Like you and he agreed not to make a statement...Like, thats the way it is...

[Chi-townChief]

That superintendent sounds pretty old school, to say the least.

[Greysard]

I hate little Despot Bureaucrats!

I never attended ceremonies. At high school I told them that I have more important things to do and left for home. At university - I don't even remember, I picked up the diploma at secretary's office a couple of months later. Why to bother attending useless, noisy performances that contribute nothing to your education?

[meyer]

did they give him the diploma after the ceremony? Point is, he earned the credits and they owe him the diploma, regardless. They might choose to withhold from giving it to him during the ceremony as a penalty for “blowing a kiss to Mom” (should have done that after he was handed the diploma) but they can't prevent him from graduation if he's passed the required curriculum.

[presently no screen name]

Did the kids w/the beach balls get their diploma or was this guy the scapegoat? His actions were not mischievous, IMO.

[Pontiac]

"There was no misbehavior. Showboating is not misbehavior," Mary Denney said. "A bow, a kiss to your mom is not misbehavior. There was no need of my son not getting his diploma."

Well mom what about this?

“No arrests were made," Cumberland County Sheriff's Department Deputy Chief Kevin Joyce said. "The individual that was escorted off the stage was asked to leave the civic center. He was to the point where the deputy was starting to get to the point where he wanted to arrest the individual, but gave him several opportunities to settle down. Eventually, he took off his cap and gown and threw it at the deputy and walked out the civic center."

He had to be escorted off the stage. The superintendent asked him to sit down but he had to have a deputy escort him off the stage and had to be shown out of the building.

There has to be some history here, if not with this student in particular, with graduation ceremonies at this high school.

I will have to stand with the superintendent on this one. Discipline and decorum at high schools have been pretty low at high schools for several decades. It is long past time that kids learn that childish behavior has its place and time. Graduation ceremonies are not the place or the time.

The kid should get his diploma unceremoniously in the mail.

Next year the school should have a mandatory meeting with graduating seniors where it is explained that no demonstrations by students or parents will be tolerated. The ceremony will be as rehearsed or the offender will be escorted out of the hall and not readmitted.

[Puddleglum]

SKINNER! (sounds as crusty as Superintendent Chalmers on The Simpsons)

[Toddsterpatriot]

Student Denied Diploma After Blowing Kiss

KISS could not be reached for comment.

[Tublecane]

Aw, who cares? He graduated whether or not the guy gave him a piece of paper.

Most of the time they don’t give out the real deal up there anyway. It’s all ceremonial. And as part of the ceremony, this guy got to play to the audience. More than most people get out of it.

[RBranha]

It seems there are quite a few here who have bought into the relativism and hyperbole of our friends on the left. What ever happened to "pomp and circumstance?" I'm sure this self-centered young man was given the expectations well beforehand. He made his choice to go against the rules (after he *and* his mother signed a statement saying he would not) and he paid the piper. He'll get his diploma and an additional 15 minutes of attention, so don't cry for him and his, like, apparently well-read mother. It's guys like this who make it necessary to have so-called stupid rules. If he had been respectful of his peers and the occasion, he'd have no problem with getting his diploma. If everyone were respectful of others at ceremonies like this, it would take some power from the school officials because they wouldn't have a reason to bug the kids with rules.

Talisker: All of his "behaviors" were because he had just had his integrity publically raped in the name of good behavior.

There's a difference in having your integrity taken away by force and giving it up willingly. He gave his integrity willingly. No rape in this case.

Shimmer1: Some battles just aren’t worth the trouble.

You're absolutely right. The kid should have realized this before he decided to flout the rules, and now he'd have no battle to fight.

Mr_Moonlight: Blowing a kiss towards your Mom is now considered "narcissistic" ???

No, but taking it upon yourself to do so in the middle of a graduation ceremony certainly is. He could have blown his mother a kiss as he approached her afterward and taken his bow and pointed at his friends at some other time.

Seems you have more issues than just this little meaningless news article.

"Meaningless"? For someone who has commented so prolifically, it sure doesn't seem that you consider it meaningless. Your calling it meaningless seems a bit disingenuous after reading your comments.

Luke21: These regimented types think he’s in the military or something. Bunch of control freaks around here.

He was not in a military ceremony. He was at a graduation. Pomp, circumstance, decorum, etc. Which, by the way, are the very things which are sorely missed in our society.

meyer: Personally, I don't do "group".

Yes you do, you just don't realize it or don't admit it.

Awestruck: Considering the horrible things that so many kids are doing these days, blowing a kiss to your mom should be considered an act of respect

A fine statement of moral relativism! 'Well at least he didn't kill his mom over a video game.'

Tublecane: Wish crowds would get out of control more often at political and media events.

I didn't realize that a high school graduation was a political or media event. Was it a rally for a candidate or a ballot measure? Was it a press conference to announce some new policy? Even though the occasion might merit the attention of the media, this was not a "media event."

So, what, ceremonies are collective experiences? It’s never for the kids as individuals, only as parts of the whole? Which is why, I guess, we parade them in front of the community and say their name: because individuals aren’t important.

More hyperbole. I don't think anybody is suggesting that individuals aren't important. In fact, the opposite is true. The rules are in place to allow each individual his rightful place in the ceremony. If kids and their families want to draw attention to themselves they can do it with their own private ceremony instead of at the class ceremony. Graduation? No. Waste of time.

On this we completely agree, except I'd say "graduation ceremony" instead of just "graduation." However, I understand that others think the ceremony is important, and if one attends the ceremony they should be respectful of the occasion and their classmates. Show your mom your appreciation by blowing her a kiss later.