Rebecca and all,

It's with a bit of trepidation that I enter this particular debate, but here goes. I think what Rebecca is saying is that many of the students just want to have FUN at this most auspicious occasion. Let's face it, we have all endured deadly boring rituals of marriage, death, commencement that we couldn't freaking WAIT to be over. I believe (not knowing the whole history of how the current graduation ceremony situation evolved) that it is a need to be a bit irreverent that motivates the students and their families. Nothing wrong with that. After all, what has ever been accomplished by a rigid adherence to tradition, except, as Jennifer has suggested, establishing an "us" and "them" mentality, leading of course to oppression. Those of us who have ever been "other" (and I think that is probably most of us) can appreciate this point of view.

However, I believe the most progress is made AFTER the revolution, when the practical matters have to be decided. And what we have here is a practical matter. Wherever there is such polarization, there is surely a need for discussion and diplomacy. Is it totally outrageous to believe that there might be some middle ground here between the solemn and the raucous? Surely not. Over the last several years (I suppose) the students have waged their revolution on the tedium of boring ritual, at the expense of some people's sense of decorum. Fine. Clearly, we have two opposing views here. Why not get representatives of both viewpoints to discuss and then IMPLEMENT (a very important part of the process) a ceremony that could satisfy both sides.

I probably sound like a hopeless idealist, and, trust me, I'm not volunteering to mediate such a discussion, but, given how passionately people feel about this problem, I think that something definitive should and could be done to alleviate bad feelings.

Isn't using logic and reason to solve problems part of what our job is here at the university?

That's what I thought...


Lanie Lundgrin



-----Original Message-----
From: Rebecca Cook <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] 
Date: Tue, 4 May 2004 08:47:46 -0400
Subject: Re: [UTCSTAFF] responsibility and

Actually, I was disappointed when no one tooted an air horn for me. No one made tacky posterboard signs and held them up and hollered. No fanfare, no sop, no taters. At both my graduations I thought all the yelling was funny, raucous, a rootin tootin good time. Of course, I's raised up on a farm in North Georgia, one generation removed from dirt farmers. I's the second of the woman folks in my family to get a four year college degree, something that was denied to my mama, God rest her soul. 

Rebecca Cook, UTC English


-----Original Message-----
From: Jarrod Whaley <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] 
Date: Mon, 3 May 2004 12:42:11 -0400
Subject: Re: [UTCSTAFF] responsibility and "class"

I think any time we begin discussing notions of what is "acceptable" in social situations, we risk marginalizing entire groups of people. I agree that in a perfect world, we should be able to hear the names of all the students as they make their way across the dais, but to my mind, the not-so-subtly masked elitism and classism driving this debate is FAR more troublesome than noisy celebrations at the ceremony.

If what is desired is, as you say, a ceremony that meets the needs of "*all*" of our students, then wouldn't the forced silencing of celebrations be just as disrespectful to the demonstrative attendees as the noise may be seen to be to others? Do we REALLY want to serve everyone's interests, or are we talking about couching elitist views in the rhetoric of "respect"?

In response to the claim that society "needs its ceremonies," I would ask just who is supposed to define the term "ceremony." Those of us who claim to understand that this is a situation that calls for "decorum" and "respect" should remember that wishing to determine how the attendees are to conduct themselves is far more oppressive and disturbing than a little light-hearted air-horn tooting.

-->jarrod whaley.
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