For Marietta High School senior Meredith Beardmore, homecoming is important, but graduation matters more.
So in an organized effort, the Class of 2003 vice president and about 40 other students and parents used Friday evening’s homecoming parade to protest future graduation ceremony changes passed by the Marietta City School Board in August.
The protest was spirited, yet orderly, with most of the students holding up signs that called for better communication and more input into their graduation.
“Give us OUR gradation,” one sign read. “Communicate, don’t dictate,” read another sign.
The changes students protested are the administration’s attempt to enforce better behavior at the graduation ceremony which usually sees beach balls and Silly String flying, among other distractions, said Superintendent Greg Backus. But it is not the banning of such antics that bothers the senior class.
Rather, the seniors are upset the new ceremony procedures will also take away valedictorian speeches, student voting of teacher involvement and the presentation of the class song. There will be inspections for proper student clothing and Marietta police officers will be on hand to enforce the new rules. Without any notice of the changes, the majority of the senior class is feeling slighted.
“We’re the ones being affected by this, but no student had any say in it,” Beardmore said. Students were informed of the changes on the first day of school, after the board passed the measure.
“I don’t think we should be punished for last year’s class,” said senior Chad Fisher, 18. In fact, this year’s seniors admit last year’s graduation antics went too far.
On the other side of the issue, Backus admits the changes are drastic, but says they were necessary.
“I apologize that they weren’t contacted,” Backus said. “This wasn’t a punishment to this class, but it came down to decisions that had to be made for the improvement of the ceremony. Last year’s ceremony was a disgrace to the school system and the community. It lacked class and dignity.”
Backus said along with the beach balls and Silly String, he saw students walking in flip-flop shoes, wearing shorts and using tobacco products. At the end of the ceremony, Backus also saw a student make an obscene gesture to the crowd.
“If that’s the sole purpose of coming (causing disruptions), then they shouldn’t bother coming,” Backus said. He said the use of Marietta Police at the 2003 graduation will be a last resort to deter and remove any student causing a disruption.
The other ceremony changes are meant to involve more teachers and administrators Backus said. Marietta Board of Education members will hand out diplomas and teachers presenting honor cords will be rotated on an alphabetical basis, instead of being voted in by the students. These are the changes that irk the students the most.
“No offense to the board members, but I don’t know them,” Beardmore said. “I want to see the teachers I know.”
Marietta High School senior Sam Dahler, 18, is upset valedictorians will not get to speak.
“The top 15 students will write an essay and then submit it for approval to the board and they pick who will speak,” Dahler said. “You know these essays are going to be bland and say exactly what the board wants to hear.”
Marietta parent Marie Thompson is supporting her daughter’s involvement in the protest. Several parents participated in the protest by handing students their protest signs a quarter of the way through the parade.
“I don’t like the disrespect shown to the students,” Thompson said.
Marietta parent Tyler Palmer agrees.
“I’m proud of them and how they are handling this,” Palmer said. “They’ve learned how to deal with this in a democratic way.”
Beardmore said she talked to Backus and high school principal Jack Mental, but both administrators have yet to concede any compromise.
“I will listen, but I’m not saying we are going to change anything,” Backus said.