HS graduation - seat saving and other ettiquette

In My Humble Opinion
1

I have the dubious pleasure of attending #2’s HS graduation this evening. Due to recent and forecast rain, it will be held inside the gym/fieldhouse, with closed circuit to the auditorium.

The first thing I’m anticipating is walking into the gym well ahead of the start time, to see a sea of available seats - with one or two people seated at either end, and a handful of jackets and programs scattered about - saving the seats for people to stroll in at the last moment. I know we’ve discussed this before, but I’m up for another round. How many seats is it appropriate for how many people to save in what manner and under what circumstances?

Personally, I have no objection to a grandparent or infant arriving at the last moment, perhaps accompanied by someone to keep them company. But it totally burns my biscuits to see entire families stroll in at the last moment to assume their ostensibly RESERVED seats.

If you think there is anything inappropriate about seat saving, under what circumstances would you say or do what? I always like to think I’d just plop my fat ass down, but I’m such a confrontation-averse weenie, I ususally just have thoughts involving dismemberment, and shuffle over to stew in a stuffy corner somewhere.

What time would you arrive for a 6 pm scheduled start? 3 of us will be attending - me, the missus, and eldest daughter. I figure we’ll leave our house around 5, walk there (10-15 minutes) to avoid traffic/parking, getting there around 5:15-5:30. I anticipate there will be few seats left at that time.

Would you opt for sitting on bleachers in the gym to see it live, or in padded seats in the auditorium to see it on video? I’m very ambivalent. Hell, I’d probably opt for blowing it off and just showing up outside at the last moment, and telling my kid I was there.)

What is your opinion as to speakers at a graduation? How many and for how long? IIRC, they allow EACH member of the board of ed to speak, and they blat on for 5 or so minutes apiece. Makes you wonder if the really think ANYONE is there to hear what they have to say.

Final question - what do you think about such things as decorated mortarboards, beachballs, clapping/cheering for individual grads, and other matters of “decorum”?

2

One person can save One seat. That’s it.

3

God, that irritated the dogshit out of me at my wife’s college graduation. Two people saving eight seats between them with coats and scarves without even a hint of shame. Your extended family all gets to sit in a perfect line together whenever they finally show up, the result being that no two members of my family, who all arrived together, gets to sit anywhere near each other. Thanks bunches.

4

So, you put anyone down?
Or simply grumble while shuffling off to the rafters like a pussy! :stuck_out_tongue:

5

The second, of course. :smiley:

6

IANA Parent, but… I’d say it’s okay for one person to save two seats - one on either side of them. That allows, for example, a dad to save a seat for the mother and the non-graduating kid. Or the same example family to save room for the grandparents and extended family. BUT, everybody should get there before hand. If the ceremony has started, there’s no saving seats for the entire family (I’d allow saving a seat or two for a lagging parent or something)

As far as speakers shrug What are you going to do? I think graduations are required to be boring, aren’t they?

And cheering… Sheesh. You get to cheer briefly for your kid. And by briefly I mean, about 5-10 seconds so that the NEXT family can hear their kid’s name being called. In other words, don’t be a jerk. The ceremony isn’t just for you.

7

We execute anybody found with a beach ball or noisemaker at graduation.
OK, not really, but everybody entering the stadium is subject to search, and any student caught blowing up any ball or such risks getting pulled from the ceremony and hit with all sorts of barriers in getting their diploma. We can’t actually deny it to them, but we can make them jump through a million hoops first.

We have too many speakers at graduation. I think we should get rid of all of them but the faculty speaker, who this year is going to give a riviting oratory that will be the basis of philosphical papers for the next decade.

8

I’d go for saving two seats per person. Any more than that is just greedy and rude. Can you pretend not to see them?

As for decorated caps and such? No. Save it for college, maybe, and then it better be pretty discreet. Cheering for your student? No. I can handle a very short bit of polite applause, but it had better be short and fairly quiet. Better to pay atttention and save it for after all the names. Then you can cheer to your heart’s content. Well, you can if you’re not a complete idiot.

If I were you, I’d plan to get there sooner, though, just because most people aren’t reasonable. And hope your graduate is between a couple of others with civilized families.

Anyway, congratulations to your graduate. Enjoy.