I had the privilege of watching the class of 2007 graduate from
Gilroy High School last Friday night.
I had the privilege of watching the class of 2007 graduate from Gilroy High School last Friday night. The grandstands were packed with people holding balloons, flowers and air horns. I think it would be safe to say that there was standing room only for latecomers. Strangers became acquainted as we sat shoulder to shoulder in the heat waiting for the ceremonies to begin. The faculty and students began filing in by pairs and we searched for familiar faces under blue tasseled caps. As the last two young ladies sat in their chairs, we strained our ears to hear students and teachers give speeches and share meaningful stories.
At long last diplomas were delivered and the long list of names was called out one by one as the crowds cheered and horns blasted from random sections in the bleachers. This is by far the most exciting part of a graduation. This is the moment when your student is recognized in the presence of his or her friends, family and community as a high school graduate. They hear their name echoing loud and clear high above the very campus on which they have grown into young men and women. They have worked so hard for this day and I think each and every graduate deserves recognition for their achievements.
You are lucky if your graduating student’s last name started with the letter “a” because the apparent trend at a high school graduation is to get up and leave the grandstands after your student’s name is called. I mean who cares about the other people’s kids, right? After all they don’t mean anything to you. By the time we got to the “j’s” or so, the walkway was in gridlock filled with pedestrians aiming to leave the ceremony area. I thought about the last student to receive her diploma and how when she would look up into to grandstands she would see only a fraction of the people who had been there and chaos in the aisles. I felt as if our entire community had turned their backs on these students. What is the message here? Is it, “Welcome to adulthood, nobody cares about you”? I wanted to shout to everyone to sit back down. The last student worked just as hard as the first students and every eye was on them. Don’t the students whose names start with “z” deserve that same attention? I turned to the people next to me and shared my thoughts on how rude this all was (they were still waiting for the name of their student to be announced). I was disgusted by this selfish display and lack of heart as hoards of people were walking out.
My daughter and I stayed in our seats with people standing up all around us and packing up their things as graduating students names continued to be called. We sat there until the last name was announced. I didn’t have to wonder how I would feel if the last student was my child. My blood was boiling. What a horrid message those last students received when their own community walked out on them before they were acknowledged. How will you feel when it’s your child that nobody bothers to cheer for?
I generally rave about this town and the people in it. But right now I’m still quite miffed about the level of self-interest and lack of respect I witnessed last Friday night. These kids are OUR future. I think it’s rather short sighted of us to teach them right out of the gate that nobody cares what they accomplish. At the beginning of the ceremony when I saw those last two girls in such a long line of graduates I thought with a chuckle, “Boy they sure have to wait a long time.” But, I never imagined when their names were called they’d see nothing but elbows and a**holes.
Congratulations class of 2007, I’m proud of ALL of you!
