The cheerleaders were jumping about and shaking their pom poms. The band was playing. The football players were standing proudly. The students were cheering and pounding on the bleachers. This was the scene at the high school pep rally. And then, seemingly out of nowhere, someone dressed entirely in lime-green spandex - even covering his head and face (think Fluorescent Green Power Ranger) - came running and dancing out onto the floor. The students laughed and applauded, and the principal quickly grabbed the pep rally crasher and escorted him out.
Now, had this happened when I was in high school, the offender would have likely received a D-hall, everyone would have had a good laugh, and that would have been the end of it. But it happened last week at Daughter's high school.
The Green Man, as he has come to be known, was suspended for three days. AND! He got a ticket. Yes, as in a citation from the police. Something about disrupting educational time. It's costing him $500.
Find this ridiculous? Well, you're not the only one. The students rallied behind Green Man, and one day last week, everyone wore green to support him. This is a school with over 3500 students. That's a lot of green.
I don't know the fate of Green Man. I have to say that if I were his parents I'd be fighting this one tooth and nail. Yes, he deserves to be punished. Some kind of detention, or even a day of suspension. But a $500 ticket that will go on his record? That just seems a little extreme.
I think back to the things we used to do in high school and how it would be handled today. Like the massive, school-wide game of Assassin we played when I was a sophomore. One student - I don't even remember who - was the "Godfather", and the students paid money to play. Each player was assigned another player to "assassinate" - we all carried suction-cup dart guns around with us all day, and if you saw your target in the halls, you could "shoot" at them. If you hit them, they were out of the game and you then got their person to go after. You could also fire in defense if you were drawn on. The last person standing won the pot. It was a lot of fun.
If that happened today, it would likely go down as an act of terrorism. All students caught with suction-cup dart guns would be expelled and thrown in jail. It would be all over the news.
What do we have to blame for this "zero-tolerance" attitude they have in schools today? 9-11? Maybe. But gone are the days when a couple of guys could have a fistfight after school then be buddies again the next day. Today both kids would be arrested. No disruptions whatsoever are tolerated, for fear that they be a serious threat rather than a fun game or prank.
Yes, these are the time we live in now. While I certainly want my students to be safe at school, it does sadden me a bit that punishments are so harsh for kids just being kids. I think the Green Man was kinda funny.
I'm just glad he wasn't nekkid.
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11 comments:
It is UTTERLY RIDICULOUS that he got a citation! First, this wasn't disrupting the educational process. It was a PEP RALLY! That's so educational?! And, second, he is going to have to go to court, will probably have a fine and/or community service, for a prank that the students found quite funny. Remember, I have a daughter there, too! And, I work for the district you mention, and I totally disagree with the way this was handled. Poor green man. And of course, I saw it on the news, too! Well, it's no worse than the girl who was suspended in Katy for dying her hair purple.
It is ridiculous. And it makes me so sad that kids can't be kids anymore. 9-11, certainly. But, also, Columbine. I understand we need to protect our kids from each other (sometimes) and others. What I don't understand is why we can't have shades of gray. It's all black or white.
A friend of mine's son got kicked off the baseball team. Well, let me go back. Last year, the drug dog hit on his car. When they investigated, they found NO drugs. But they did find a pocket knife. He had no idea about it. It turns out a friend of his had one and forgot to take it out of his pocket when he went to school. So, he left it in his friend's car. He signed a confession saying it was his and the friend had no knowledge. It did not matter. The son got 3 day suspension and alternative education for 30 days. The friend got nothing since he wasn't in possession of the knife. The parents fought and got the alt. ed. reversed. If it's all about possession, can you think of the damage hateful kids can cause??? Then, over the summer, this son got in trouble. I'm not sure what he did. But, it was enough that he got kicked off the baseball team. For something that happened while school is not in session.
I don't have all the facts so I can't weigh in on whether it was right or not. But, my point is that it's all or nothing. No room for silly mistakes.
And Green Man probably was nekkid under his spandex.
You are freakin' kidding me. Exactly WHAT educational minute was he interrupting? When did forced pep rallies qualify as educational in any way, shape or form?
INSANE. The administration and police, not the green guy.
I'm with everyone else. Pep rally does not = education.
i agree. it would be one thing if he was streaking, but green spandex? come on!
I'm so happy you're back to posting! I've missed you, girlfriend.
Viva la Green Man! His punishment is ridiculous :(
That is crazy! I remember the high school pranks, and they were WAY worse than this! His punishment is totally uncalled for!
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