101 lines
5.4 KiB
Plaintext
101 lines
5.4 KiB
Plaintext
$$$$$$$$$$$
|
|
$$$$$$$$$$$ hogz of entropy #260
|
|
$$$$$P $$$$ $$$$ moo, oink, up your butt.
|
|
$$$$P $$$$ x$$$$
|
|
$$$P $$$$ xP$$$$ d$$$$$$$$$$$.
|
|
$$$. $$$$xP $$$$ $$$$$$' >$$$$
|
|
$$$$$$$$$. $$$$P $$$$ 4$$$$$. .$$$$'
|
|
$$$$'`4$$$b. $$$$ $$$$ 4$$$$$$$$$P'
|
|
$$$$b 4$$$$b. $$$$$$$$$$$ 4$$$< %%
|
|
$$$$$b 4$$$$$x $$$$$$$$$$$ 4$$$$$$$$$ %%
|
|
|
|
>> "Why I Won't Be At Graduation" <<
|
|
by -> Cyn
|
|
|
|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
I am choosing not to attend my high school's graduation ceremony. No, this
|
|
doesn't mean I'm not graduating. No, I'm not a dismal student. I am, in fact,
|
|
a National Merit Finalist, Team Captain of my school's Academic Decathlon
|
|
Team and recipient of the Wellesley Book Award. I will be receiving my
|
|
diploma. I'm just choosing to have it mailed to me, rather than crossing the
|
|
stage and shaking someone's hand to get it. But then, they don't actually
|
|
give you your diploma when you shake hands with the principal. What you get
|
|
then is a rolled up piece of paper. I suppose they don't trust us not to lose
|
|
them. To get your actual diploma, I believe you have to go stand in line
|
|
somewhere.
|
|
|
|
So I'm missing graduation. I'm skipping sitting in folding chairs in a field
|
|
in the sun for two hours. I'm missing the self congratulatory speeches by the
|
|
administration, telling us what fine young people they turned us into. I'm
|
|
avoiding the enforced conformity of wearing a cap and gown. I'm not going up
|
|
on stage to shake hands with a principal who has no idea who I am.
|
|
|
|
No, I'm not doing this merely because burgundy, the color of our caps and
|
|
gowns, looks bad on me. I have a reason beyond not wanting to listen to
|
|
boring speeches. I am not going because I am protesting having to listen to
|
|
the paeans recited to the administration, for the administration, and by the
|
|
administration.
|
|
|
|
My school is run for the convenience of the administrators. They do not care
|
|
what the students think. In fact, they would probably prefer it if the
|
|
students did not think at all. Ideally, we would do as we were told, not
|
|
speak unless spoken to, and get out of the halls. Daring to question their
|
|
authority is blasphemous.
|
|
|
|
When a student actually dares speak, perhaps to explain why he's trying to
|
|
get down a hallway when an administrator is trying to shoo him away, he is
|
|
treated with all the respect one gives a particularly loathsome and annoying
|
|
insect. Once the student manages to make himself heard, he is allowed to
|
|
continue on his way if his reason is judged sufficient. Now, this situation
|
|
is not taking place during a tardy sweep or class time. This is taking place
|
|
during lunch and nutrition, on the student's own time, while he is trying to
|
|
get to a school office, such as the counselors' office, the main office, or
|
|
the college counselor's office.
|
|
|
|
My school currently has a policy against having students in the hallways
|
|
after five minutes into nutrition and ten minutes into lunch. Unfortunately,
|
|
this means it is impossible for a student to go to his locker, go to an
|
|
administrative office, take care of his business in the office, and then go
|
|
into a teacher's room. More unfortunately, this neatly describes my daily
|
|
routine. Almost daily I am yelled at for trying to get from one of the main
|
|
offices to the English building.
|
|
|
|
One of the reasons I have to go to at least on of the main offices daily is
|
|
the incompetence of the office staff. I have gotten the correct classes on my
|
|
schedule once in the last six semesters. This is after I've gone into the
|
|
counseling office, spent hours of my own time there and stayed after school
|
|
to talk to my counselor.
|
|
|
|
It took me two weeks to get an 18-year-old privilege pass. This is two weeks
|
|
of visiting the attendance office twice a day. And every time I went it was,
|
|
"Oh, we were really busy today, come back after school." "Oh, we were really
|
|
busy, come back tomorrow at nutrition." Finally, I stood there while they
|
|
called my father. It took ten minutes.
|
|
|
|
If I was forced to pick one word to describe the administration, I would be
|
|
hard pressed to decide between officious and inept.
|
|
|
|
I am not saying I regret the time I have spent at San Pedro High School. I
|
|
have had some great teachers. I have learned a great deal. I've had a great
|
|
time with all of my friends. Some of the administration, most notably Mrs.
|
|
Zorotovich, the college counselor, and the secretaries in the counseling
|
|
office are quite polite and efficient. However, the treatment of the students
|
|
by the majority of the administration tempts me to skip high school and get a
|
|
General Equivalency Diploma.
|
|
|
|
I will not be attending my high school's graduation in June. And I won't be
|
|
there for a reason.
|
|
|
|
If you would like to contact my school and tell them that their behavior is
|
|
reprehensible, the address is:
|
|
|
|
San Pedro High School
|
|
1001 W 15th st
|
|
San Pedro, CA 90731
|
|
and the phone number is:
|
|
(310) 547-2491
|
|
|
|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
* (c) HoE publications. HoE #260 -- written by Cyn -- 8/16/98 *
|