Disturbing the peace at a graduation ceremony

[Candor]

(CNN) Four people who cheered -- allegedly excessively -- for their loved ones at a high school graduation ceremony in Senatobia, Mississippi, say they've now been slapped with an excessive punishment.

Two weeks after watching her niece walk across the stage at Senatobia High School's graduation ceremony on May 21, Ursula Miller received a warrant for her arrest for disturbing the peace.

"I just called her name out. 'Lakaydra,' Just like that," Miller told CNN affiliate WREG.

Now, Miller said, she has to appear in court or could face at least a $500 fine.

Henry Walker waved a towel and yelled, "You did it baby," to his sister as he walked out of the ceremony. He is another one of the four who also received the warrant.

"It's crazy," Walker told WREG. "The fact that I might have to bond out of jail, pay court costs ... for expressing my love -- it's ridiculous, man."

Superintendent Jay Foster doesn't think the punishment is ridiculous at all, especially after he said he reminded audience members repeatedly to hold their applause until the end of the ceremony.

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I wish I lived in a city where the crime rate was obviously so low that the police had nothing better to do than arrest people for problems like this one.

[Androidpk]

Jay Foster sounds like a douchebag.

[Tisket]

Sounds like someone has control issues.

[ElAngelo]

People these days don't have respect for anything anymore.

[Drunken Durfin]

I went to high school a few miles down the road from Senatobia. One of my relatives was at that ceremony waiting to hear her daughter's name called. She never got to hear it.

There was not just a couple of one-liner congratulatory outbursts. People yelling and cheering would continue so that the next three or four names could not be heard. Many parents could not hear the names of their children being called out. Once again the media is skewing the facts to make it sound like something that it was not. Jay is not a douchbag, he was doing his job. You can be damn sure that people will think twice next year.

[Tenlaar]

I went to high school a few miles down the road from Senatobia. One of my relatives was at that ceremony waiting to hear her daughter's name called. She never got to hear it.

Still stupid.

[Tgo01]

Still stupid.

If what Durfin is saying is true it doesn't sound stupid at all. Seriously. So the people following the rules don't get to hear the big moment of their child's name being called out because of some jackasses who can't follow the rules are hooping and hollering for entirely too long?

[Drunken Durfin]

If what Durfin is saying is true it doesn't sound stupid at all. Seriously. So the people following the rules don't get to hear the big moment of their child's name being called out because of some jackasses who can't follow the rules are hooping and hollering for entirely too long?

Absolutely true. You are absolutely correct.

[Tenlaar]

Yes, people being arrested because somebody didn't hear their child's name is still stupid.

[Ker_Thwap]

Yes, people being arrested because somebody didn't hear their child's name is still stupid.

Graduation ceremonies are a rite of passage. So they do have some value and importance. For many families, sacrifices were made.

I was rather annoyed at my daughter's college graduation. They didn't call the names at all for the undergrads, and they split the diploma handouts, into four separate lines to speed them through. I wasn't even able to see her cross a stage and get handed a diploma.

For the graduate school students, they called the graduate students name, as well as the professors that sponsored them. Half the ceremony seemed like it was about the staff members congratulating each other.

Great, so I fight through traffic, find parking, take hours to get out of the parking lot, and that was the crappy ceremony I got?

Overall, the "be quiet" rule as instituted by the school is bullshit. Maybe they're afraid the unpopular kids will graduate in silence, maybe they're afraid people will yell out inappropriate comments, or that some kids will get more applause than others? Maybe they just want to speed the ceremony along quickly?

However, once you make the rule, on your property/place of business, then the attendees need to follow it. Start yelling in a library, restaurant, grocery store, etc. and you get arrested. Why? Because it annoys other people and ruins the desired experience. You may think it's a bullshit rule, but it doesn't exempt you from the consequences.

[Tenlaar]

However, once you make the rule, on your property/place of business, then the attendees need to follow it. Start yelling in a library, restaurant, grocery store, etc. and you get arrested. Why? Because it annoys other people and ruins the desired experience. You may think it's a bullshit rule, but it doesn't exempt you from the consequences.

No, if you start yelling in those places you will be asked to leave. Then, if you refuse, the cops might be involved. That step was skipped here and it went straight to a waste of police/court time that could be spent on people that actually deserve it.

[Ker_Thwap]

No, if you start yelling in those places you will be asked to leave. Then, if you refuse, the cops might be involved. That step was skipped here and it went straight to a waste of police/court time that could be spent on people that actually deserve it.

To that I say ... good. What would be the point of asking them to leave, when they've been yelling for 20 seconds, and ruined the ceremony for two other families already, and aren't likely to yell again. Yell over my kid's name, that moment is gone forever. Yell at the grocery store, I can go grocery shopping in peace again tomorrow.

Just because you commit a crime, then leave the scene, it doesn't give you a free pass.

Fuck these people yelling, fuck the school for not slowing down the pace to allow for yelling. If you're asked not to disturb the ceremony, then don't disturb the ceremony. Telling the police that it's traditional for me to scream a rebel yell every time the breadsticks arrive at the restaurant isn't going to impress them. I can't just blame the police in this circumstance.

[Warriorbird]

Everybody in my school's graduations yells like crazy. We also have a badass PA system and allow some extra time. It's not rocket science.

[Tgo01]

Yes, people being arrested because somebody didn't hear their child's name is still stupid.

That's like, the entire point of the graduation, to have your name called, to have the focus on YOU as you walk down the stage and are handed your diploma.

If it's no big deal then why even have the ceremony? Just hand diplomas out at the last day of school and skip the ceremony. Obviously the ceremony is a big deal.

If there was some other way we could stop people from acting like wild animals then I would opt for that solution over arresting them but I am unaware of another way so it looks like pressing charges against them is the way to go.

[Latrinsorm]

That's like, the entire point of the graduation, to have your name called, to have the focus on YOU as you walk down the stage, are handed your diploma, and the crowd cheers for YOU.

If it's no big deal then why even have the ceremony? Just hand diplomas out at the last day of school and skip the ceremony. Obviously the ceremony is a big deal.

If there was some other way we could stop people from acting like wild animals then I would opt for that solution over arresting them but I am unaware of another way so it looks like pressing charges against them is the way to go.It rhymes with... okay it's universal surveillance. Most people do things only because they can get away with them, this is no exception.

[Wrathbringer]

If there was some other way we could stop people from acting like wild animals then I would opt for that solution over arresting them but I am unaware of another way so it looks like pressing charges against them is the way to go.

Pass out joints as folks enter. Problem solved.

[Androidpk]

This is a concern because if you don't hear your name called they don't let you graduate.

[Tgo01]

It rhymes with... okay it's universal surveillance. Most people do things only because they can get away with them, this is no exception.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT0KnLidwW0

50 teens caught on camera destroying a Walmart yet only one was arrested and that's only because he dropped his cell phone and went back to get it.

Where is your universal surveillance God now?!

[Ker_Thwap]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT0KnLidwW0

50 teens caught on camera destroying a Walmart yet only one was arrested and that's only because he dropped his cell phone and went back to get it.

Where is your universal surveillance God now?!

7515

You clearly haven't taken this to it's logical conclusion.

[~Rocktar~]

It's Walmart, the quality of their cameras isn't exactly national security grade so identifying those scumbags might be a bit difficult.

[Wrathbringer]

It's Walmart, the quality of their cameras isn't exactly national security grade so identifying those scumbags might be a bit difficult.

Don't you mean thugs?

[Warriorbird]

This thread needs more DTP.

On topic:

http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/img/photos/2012/08/11/3b/5f/88663909_ludacris_193020a.jpg

http://www.accessatlanta.com/news/entertainment/music/ludacris-returns-to-banneker-high-with-message-of-/nQxmm/

[Wrathbringer]

This thread needs more DTP.

On topic:

http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/img/photos/2012/08/11/3b/5f/88663909_ludacris_193020a.jpg

http://www.accessatlanta.com/news/entertainment/music/ludacris-returns-to-banneker-high-with-message-of-/nQxmm/

Speaking of thugs...

[Warriorbird]

Speaking of thugs...

That darn high school salutatorian, college graduate, and former radio personality. Such a thuggish background he came from before the Grammy Awards and the oddly successful acting career.

[Wrathbringer]

That darn high school salutatorian, college graduate, and former radio personality. Such a thuggish background he came from before the Grammy Awards and the oddly successful acting career.

Pssh, Pretty sure I ID'd him in that video Tgo posted.

[Latrinsorm]

50 teens caught on camera destroying a Walmart yet only one was arrested and that's only because he dropped his cell phone and went back to get it. Where is your universal surveillance God now?!My universal surveillance programme includes a complete overhaul of the justice system which includes but is not limited to making surveillance automatically admissible in court and using a British spelling of program so you know it's legit.

God save the camera!

[Astray]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5MemsJR_Ws

[Wrathbringer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5MemsJR_Ws

I want 2:09 of my life back.

[Astray]

I want 2:09 of my life back.

Too bad. It's mine now.

[~Rocktar~]

Don't you mean thugs?

You say tomato . . .