Should water balloon fight keep seniors off graduation stage Sunday?

[mark414]

BURLINGTON - The Burlington High School senior class might look a little small on Sunday, after 89 of the approximately 300 graduates took part in a forbidden water balloon fight Friday afternoon.

The tradition at BHS is for the seniors to rush out to their cars after their last class on the last day of school, load up with water balloons, and pelt underclassmen as they leave the building. Worried about a potentially dangerous situation, administrators told the students not to have the water fight this year and threatened to bar students from walking across the stage at graduation Sunday if they participated in the underclassmen pelting.

Should students be kept from participating in the graduation ceremony for taking part in the traditional water balloon fight?

http://www.thejournaltimes.com/nucleus/index.php?itemid=1276

i graduated from this high school a couple years ago (and my little brother is one of the 89) and we did this as well. this has been going on for years, and the worst thing that has ever happened to anyone is they got wet...this new principal focuses on it seems only the most trivial of issues...this being one of them.

the teachers were first blocking the doors after school and then LOCKED THEM OUT after they had the balloon fight. even the cops came and had no idea what to do because no one had been injured and no property had been damaged. they couldn't believe the teachers locked them out either.

[JohnKleeb]

1. Sounds like crap to me too Mark

I would have taken part in it had I been there. Anyhow about the new principal thing, I can relate totally, when I finished elementary school, the principal was also retiring, my brother for half of his years there had a new principal who also focused on trival matters and seeemed to have it out for my bro and his friends.

[Cornus]

2. Yes

[mark414]

4. ohh i got something for you, a new word of the day

this is one you should really remember

Main Entry: fun
Pronunciation: 'f&n
Function: noun
Etymology: English dialect fun to hoax, perhaps alteration of Middle English fonnen, from fonne dupe
1 : what provides amusement or enjoyment; specifically : playful often boisterous action or speech <full of fun>
2 : a mood for finding or making amusement <all in fun>
3 a : AMUSEMENT, ENJOYMENT <sickness takes all the fun out of life> b : derisive jest : SPORT, RIDICULE <a figure of fun>
4 : violent or excited activity or argument <let a snake loose in the classroom; then the fun began>
synonyms FUN, JEST, SPORT, GAME, PLAY mean action or speech that provides amusement or arouses laughter. FUN usually implies laughter or gaiety but may imply merely a lack of serious or ulterior purpose <played cards just for fun>. JEST implies lack of earnestness in what is said or done and may suggest a hoaxing or teasing <hurt by remarks said only in jest>. SPORT applies especially to the arousing of laughter against someone <teasing begun in sport led to anger>. GAME is close to SPORT, and often stresses mischievous or malicious fun <made game of their poor relations>. PLAY stresses the opposition to earnest without implying malice or mischief <pretended to strangle his brother in play>.

[Cornus]

6. Here's a new one for you, too

re·spect Audio pronunciation of "respect" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (r-spkt)
tr.v. re·spect·ed, re·spect·ing, re·spects

1. To feel or show deferential regard for; esteem.
2. To avoid violation of or interference with: respect the speed limit.
3. To relate or refer to; concern.


n.

1. A feeling of appreciative, often deferential regard; esteem. See Synonyms at regard.
2. The state of being regarded with honor or esteem.
3. Willingness to show consideration or appreciation.
4. respects Polite expressions of consideration or deference: pay one's respects.
5. A particular aspect, feature, or detail: In many respects this is an important decision.
6. Usage Problem. Relation; reference. See Usage Note at regard.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. I don't know

sounds like simple high spirits to me. And it beats being in mourning for a fallen hero-Bobby Kennedy was assassinated days before my graduation. Viet Nam was killing thousands of people, and wounding many more. Many of the boys graduating wondered if they would be able to keep enough student deferments to avoid getting drafted; none were entering the military voluntarily.

[tjwmason]

5. We had even worse threats

The UpperVIth (final year) would finish school very early to go on study-leave for their final exams.

Obviously the last day was one of pretty much continual high-jinks, but serious threats were made that people would not be allowed into school to sit exams. This would mean no A levels would be got, everybody's university places are dependent on A levels.

The threats were ignored every year. The main tradition was that of throwing the head-boy into a nearby pond at morning break. It used to be in the school swimming pool, but that was banned a few years earlier on safety ground - a pond which involved dragging him 200 yards across at least one road being so much safer. The Deputy-Head responsible for the VIth Form would stand shouting at this crowd of 200 18 year-old boys "you're not allowed off school at break-time" getting as much response as you would expect.

[prole_for_peace]

7. "potentially dangerous situation"???

sheesh.. it is a tradition and it is just water balloons. no one would stop me from walking on my graduation because of some hs principal's power trip. a week before i graduated (20 years ago) someone broke into the school office and tried to mess with the grades. our principal tried to threaten us with the no walking crap. i may have been 18 but i was a very cocky 18. i told him that i knew that my friends and i had nothing to do with it and neither hell high water nor him were going to stop us from walking across that stage. boy did that piss him off but it was my last day of school and i did not care. i never liked him anyway. still don't

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. If they pelt just each other? Fine. But I would maybe have a problem

if I were the parent of an underclassman. Why don't they keep it amongst their own? That way everyone is happy?

[bigwillq]

9. NO way!

They should be happy to graduate with their class.

What stupid nonsense.

[Der Blaue Engel]

10. It's small-minded power crap

The last chance to control these kids, and it drives control freaks crazy. Like the kid who wasn't allowed to attend graduation because they were supposed to wear ties, and he wore a bolo. (Don't remember where this was; heard it on AAR yesterday.) He argued that it was part of his Native American heritage, and they said "tough."

When I graduated in 1984, we were threatened for all kinds of possible meaningless infractions, like bringing beach balls to toss around in the crowd. We all decided to bring a pocket full of marbles, and as we shook the principal's hand, we handed her the marbles. She just went fish-handed and let them all drop to the stage. It was a continuous sound of tiny pelting marbles and an act of "disobedience" I still cherish, since I had been a goody-two-shoes up to that point. :)

Demonstrating your independence from the "system" in silly little ways is a time-honored tradition of graduation.

[MrSlayer]

11. Ooooooooh the dangerous water balloons might kill someone.

This is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. With all the crazy shit kids do these days you'd think this principal would welcome such a harmless prank.

[mark414]

12. UPDATE: the kids will walk!

[enigmatic]

13. Power-tripping school officals? I'm SHOCKED, I tell you..

Idiots; I'm glad the kids are getting to walk after all...