By Jason Scheer
Temperatures soared into the 90s, and the aluminum bleachers that served as the spectators' seats were hot to the touch. Parents panted and siblings sipped any potable liquid they could get their hands on.
The school did their best to accommodate the masses, placing Gatorade jugs filled with water near the bleachers and around the field. But the looks of exhaustion on the faces of the families and friends of the graduates spoke volumes about the need for better planning on the part of the administration. One irate parent who chose to take refuge from the heat by hiding in the shade summed up the thoughts of the crowd very simply: "It is way too hot out here."
The heat transformed a day of happiness to one of worry for Vinel Kirby, whose twin daughters, Kimie and Tamora, were set to receive their diplomas. But Kirby's focus turned to her younger daughter, who passed out because of the heat.
"It's horrible," Kirby said. "It's not wise to stand out here in this heat."
But the ceremony did proceed outside. Speeches that should have formed the foundation of long-lasting memories for these graduates instead fell victim to the haze, evaporating along with the water in the Gatorade jugs. It is hard enough trying to concentrate for 45 minutes in a hot classroom, but trying to be engrossed in two hours of speeches while sitting on scorching steel folding chairs with beads of sweat drizzling down your forehead is just, well, gross.
While this year's ceremony was less than comfortable for many graduates and their families, it didn't compare with the disappointment and anger many families felt last year, when the ceremony was canceled and students were hustled inside to collect their diplomas, sans pomp and circumstance.
Baldwin Senior High School Principal Susan Knors said that the school does indeed have a contingency plan in case of rain. School officials must decide by noon the day of graduation if the conditions will be so deplorable that the ceremony should be held inside. Parents are given prior notice that if the ceremony is moved inside to the gym, each graduate is entitiled to two tickets to it. Other family members would be given the opportunity to watch the ceremony on TV sets in a common room.
Last year, the forecasts at noon called for sun, and when the sunlight was replaced by lighting, it was too late to move the ceremony inside. There is, however, no contingency plan in case of excessive heat.
No, students should not be given individual La-Z-Boy recliners equipped with industrial fans. And a retractable dome can't be put in place in the event of rainfall. But something should be done in order to provide the graduates, their families and even the teachers the appropriate environment in which to celebrate their collaborative efforts.
The task of planning a graduation is an arduous one, with many details scrutinized and many decisions made. But with the advent of air conditioning, an unbelievablly effective and potent phenomenon, one issue that should no longer come into play is the weather.
In the coming years, these graduates and future diploma recipients will strive to survive the transition to college, endure entering the marketplace and find out what it takes to raise a family. Indeed, high school graduates face many difficult challenges, but getting through their high school graduation should not be one of them.
