<p>As a graduating senior I agree with not yelling excessively. My friend graduated last year and I think I clapped heartily and screamed, “Go [name of the girl]!” but I don’t think she could hear me anyhow. 
The folks behind me had airhorns. Rather annoying indeed :/</p>
<p>There were idiots that used air horns at both my kids HS graduations. They all were adults belonging to the same family type and no one was very surprised at their behavior. On the upside, it generated some very funny and loudly expressed comments that the rest of the audience loved.</p>
<p>I agree that at hs graduations, the loudest cheers are either for:
- kids who have overcome a well-known adversity, or
- kids people didn’t think would actually manage to graduate</p>
<p>Since my kid meets neither criteria, we will applaud heartily and perhaps give a VERY brief shout. Our hs is not a “hold your applause” place, but with 400 graduates they do have to keep it moving and I agree that every deserves to hear their kids’ name be called.</p>
<p>Thats intersting, icyhorn-
I did a google search on airhorns and this thread did not come up. Musta been some wild and wicked search you did to stumble upont hsi thread, take the time to register, and then post back the way you did. </p>
<p>I see toneranger already commented on the “I googled airhorn” line-- with the same degree of incredulity.</p>
<p>Not too much of this at my D’s college grad. One air horn. I’m with the quick clap/yoorah group. I couldn’t help notice none of the really loud shouts were for honor students.</p>
<p>apologies to musicamusica for not noting your capturing and researching the “google airhorn” silliness! You deserve the credit!</p>
<p>Well jym626…it’s a good thing I logged back in tonight. After the initial slight, I was going to cry myself to sleep.</p>
<p>This reminds me of D’s days of dance competitions, and a perennial controversy in the world of dance parents. There is inevitably a noisy contingent of parents at these events who holler and whoop while their kid is onstage. Our studio’s view of such behavior was that it is low rent with a capital L. But maybe at D’s college graduation, I’ll take a cue from the dance world and yell, “Work it!”</p>
<p>musicamusica-
Well glad to help prevent such a rought night. Lets cheer, and applaud and celebrate with air horns!</p>
<p>Cover your ears…ready …blarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr</p>
<p>D’s HS graduation was outside at 9 am (Florida, what fun!) in the football field and the bleachers where attendees sat were facing east, so everyone, including the kids had the sun in their eyes the whole time. Parents were given tickets on the track area so we were a distance from the bleachers. After the first air horn went off, I was glad I wasn’t up there. The woman sitting next to us said to her husband “Oh, I wonder if he’d let us borrow that.” H said “Probably not”. And she didn’t mention it again - thank goodness.</p>
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<p>Quiet and solemn does not equal funereal in my mind. Quiet and solemn can also be deeply joyous. </p>
<p>Far more deeply joyous in fact, than screaming like fishwives and blasting horns in other people’s ears.</p>
<p>Your joy may be the greater and more deeply felt by holding it in for a little while. You can express your admiration, appreciation, and joy at the proper time. Kind of like when everyone stands up and applauds the bride and groom AFTER the wedding ceremony, not hooting and hollering in the middle of it.</p>
<p>LasMa, I’m with you. We noticed the same thing at dance competitions - the more the parents whoop and yell their kids’ names during a dance, worse the routine is. Low rent, indeed.</p>
<p>Maybe we could use dress code as a barometer of acceptable behavior.</p>
<p>Shorts and sandles : airhorns and yelling</p>
<p>suit/ties/ dresses/ dress shoes: no airhorns, yelling.</p>
<p>I like to see genuine diversity in groups- this includes not just racial and ethnic diversity but also diversity of social class and social sophistication. The rowdy people (a.k.a the ‘low rent’ ‘yahoos’ who bring airhorns) are very much a part of our society. I want them to feel as welcome at a high school or college graduation ceremony as anyone else. I appreciate that they are cheering someone’s educational accomplishment. If the educational system has worked well, one can hope that the graduates whom they are cheering will behave differently when they are parents.</p>
<p>Good manners are universal. You just have to care enough about those around you to have them. Transcends culture , race, socioeconomics and education.</p>
<p>Sorry but I think that people who shout and whistle at graduations when they’ve been asked to hold their applause until everyone has been announced send a very clear message they they simply don’t care about anyone’s feelings but their own. A graduation is a joyous AND solemn occasion (as are weddings) and it’s really hard for me to understand why people can’t respect that fact and control themselves until it’s over. No one is saying they can’t have a loud, noisy celebration following the ceremony.</p>
<p>Are funerals really the only time people think it’s appropriate to be quiet anymore?</p>
<p>And airhorns? People actually do this? Thank heaven that didn’t happen at either of my kids hs graduations (one public, one private).</p>
<p>Joblue---- I need to google “air horns and funerals”. I have no doubt that I will find
someone marketing a tasteful black air horn. :)</p>
<p>FYI Funerals call for special air horn etiquette. One short low blast JUST before the coffin is lowered. Though I am sure SOME on CC will consider these rules too rigid.</p>
<p>When I googled “air horns at funerals”, first link was to a Harley-Davidson forum. No surprise there.</p>
<p>But still no link to this forum or this thread on google, icyhorn…</p>
<p>Last night was graduation. We could not hear our son’s name due to the people hollering for the kid just before my kid. Phooey.</p>