Since it is graduation time mom and I thought we'd share a story about
human Sis's high school Graduation in 1989.
Sis went to Needham B. Broughton High School, it was established in 1929 as then-Raleigh High School. It is the oldest high school in Raleigh still being used to this day.
Over the years additions have been made to the back of the school but the
front remains as it was in 1929.
In 1989 there were over800 correction Dad, resident numbers guy, told mom it was a hair over 500 graduating seniors, too many to graduate in the school auditorium. A decision was made to hold graduation on the football field shown below. The stage was set up in the middle of the field along with chairs for the graduating class. Family and friends sat on the metal bleachers behind the fence. So as you see below the track field was between the bleachers and the football field. IMPORTANT fact our last name begins with a U and the ceremony was in alphabetical order
On graduation day my sis, mom, dad, and both sets of grandparents and Sis' uncle
headed to the school. As they arrived it started to drizzle YIKES but that was the least of the worries that day. Everyone found a seat the band played as the grads walked onto the field.. Most of those attending left their good manners in their car I guess because it was on a football field. The grads were so far away it was hard to hear their names; however, as soon as a grad received their diploma their family got and clomped down all the metal stairs...as the next letter of the alphabet was called. So this went on and on and on all thru the alphabet. FINALLY they called U.....the grads filed up to the stage.
Just as Upchurch was called a good size airplane flew over the field. The peeps did not hear Sis's name called nor could the see her 'cause the rude people were clomping down the stairs. It was a fiasco...the following week the principal sent out a letter to all the grads and their families apologizing for the fiasco. It was the first and last out door graduation at
Broughton. To this day none of the auditoriums in any of the high schools are large enough. The high schools use other larger facilities around the city.
Over the years additions have been made to the back of the school but the
front remains as it was in 1929.
In 1989 there were over
headed to the school. As they arrived it started to drizzle YIKES but that was the least of the worries that day. Everyone found a seat the band played as the grads walked onto the field.. Most of those attending left their good manners in their car I guess because it was on a football field. The grads were so far away it was hard to hear their names; however, as soon as a grad received their diploma their family got and clomped down all the metal stairs...as the next letter of the alphabet was called. So this went on and on and on all thru the alphabet. FINALLY they called U.....the grads filed up to the stage.
Just as Upchurch was called a good size airplane flew over the field. The peeps did not hear Sis's name called nor could the see her 'cause the rude people were clomping down the stairs. It was a fiasco...the following week the principal sent out a letter to all the grads and their families apologizing for the fiasco. It was the first and last out door graduation at
Broughton. To this day none of the auditoriums in any of the high schools are large enough. The high schools use other larger facilities around the city.
800 graduating seniors! That seem to me an enormous school. Or is that typical in the USA? (Did you know that we don't really have a concept of 'high school graduation' in the UK).
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Gail.
oh how bad that so much people furgot their good manners in the car.... but the main thing is your sis got a mighty fine diploma and you made a memory furever that way. the mamas graduation was a fiasko too... because she got no diploma and hat to go to a lazy-student-bootcamp fur another year....
ReplyDeleteMum nose the 'U' problem, her name used to start wiv a 'W' so she new always to stand at the end of the line!
ReplyDeleteI finks you were lucky it didn't rain as well, that would have been guaranteed over here!
Loves and licky kisses
Princess Leah xxx
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteMy word, it's like one of those fiasco films that Adam Sandler would make! Hugs and whiskeries, YAM-aunty xxx
My dad had 800 graduating seniors in his class too and it was held in the football field. Luckily, the sun was shining that day. 800 is a HUGE class. Mom had under 300 in hers.
ReplyDelete800 graduates! That is a whole lot of graduates for a high school. I think my high school graduated just a little over a hundred the year I graduated back in the dark ages. We didn't even have 800 peeps in the whole school! That is a beautiful high school!
ReplyDeleteThat is a huge big group of graduates. Sounds like a good idea to move it all inside. You all have a great day.
ReplyDeleteAwww....what a shame!! My Mom's grad class was huge too - 1100 peeps and they had to have it outside as well. Mom remembers worrying about her white high heels sinking into the grass and falling down but she didn't....it was just a hot and miserable day period. Anyway, I think they switched to having them in some kind of event facility after that.
ReplyDeleteHugs, Teddy
All that I remember about the graduation ceremony, was that I almost tripped going up the stairs. Didn't want to embarrass myself in front of so many people!
ReplyDeleteour 1962 class was to big and we had it at the football stadium. a storm came and it was canceled, a big storm. we had to go by the school on Saturday AM and pick up our diplomas. that was in Savannah GA.. enjoyed this story a lot
ReplyDeleteYep, my Dad had 700+ in his class but that's a heck of a big group!
ReplyDeleteThat certainly sounds like a "memorable" graduation.
ReplyDeleteThat is a beautiful building!!! Mom was in a graduating class of 670 waaaaaaay back in the 1900s!!! BOL
ReplyDeleteMost of the graduations here are now held in convention centers so they can accommodate all the guests. Thunderstorms are a staple of graduation nights here.
Woos - Lightning and Misty
A lesson learned and a graduation class goes down in infamy! Mom thinks the front of the school kinda looks like a prison.
ReplyDeleteYour Pals,
Murphy & Stanley
Momma would have been snoring and complaining of a butt ache
ReplyDeleteLily & Edward
That must have been so frustrating! The high schools here used to have graduations on the football fields, too, but now they hold them at a local university so there's plenty of room and parking.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Madi, you look adorable in your cap! :-)
Graduations are always chaotic here. I worked at a high school and we had to help line up students each year. Parents act like complete idiots no matter how many times they are asked to respect others. I'm sorry that happened to you on such a special day.
ReplyDeletethere are three high schools here and they each hold their graduations at the university sports dome so there is enough room for everyone
ReplyDeletehugs
Mr Bailey, Hazel & Mabel
Madi, I love yur grad photo! Here in Vancouver the high school grad ceremonies always take place in larger venues around the city.
ReplyDeleteYur Furend
Louis Dog Armstrong
Sounds like a disaster! I graduated in a class of 300 - and it was held in the big building in a local park. We each got 8 tickets for family ... more than that, you were either out of luck or at the mercy of the kids (like me) that had extra tickets. It was much like your sis's though, in terms of the graduates being so small from the bleachers. I guess there's always trade offs, right?
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! That must have been so stressful and annoying! And then the rude people! I find that people always forget their manners in situations like these. Sighz... MOL! I can also totally relate to being called up the last, as my last name starts with "W" 😂😹
ReplyDeleteYou look so beautiful Madi! 💕😻
Purrs, paw hugs and love,
Natascha and Murli🐾
- Our bloggie: http://freecatlady.wordpress.com
madi...tell mom "we" wooda still been waitin even afturr de plance flew over head !! :)
ReplyDeletede food gurl grad ewe waited out side two....bee tween de buzzin fliez, de hotter N smell tempz, de foldin chairz on grazz... de oooopz sorree we runned outta room stadium N de....can we get thiz de smell over with class....
yea....good timez waz had bye all ~~~~~~
☺☺♥♥
so sorry but i think this is pretty common with all high school graduations, actually, college too! catchatwithcarenandcody
ReplyDeleteThat is too bad. She had a big class, my class had 119.
ReplyDeleteWell, that was frustrating. The mom's graduation ceremony was outside on the football field too, but no clomping and no airplanes flying overhead.
ReplyDeleteAround here many graduations are held in the Eastman Theater. It is the grandest auditorium around.
ReplyDeleteMom's graduation was outside in the stadium....and it rained and they had to move into the gym where it was super crowded.
ReplyDeleteHugs, your guy Raz and The Florida Furkids
Man, Ma says her graduation was teeeeeny compared to yours! Ma doesn't remember the exact number, butts it was a pretty small class. We have lots of high schools around here, and ours was the smallest. Yours sounds like tons of funs, Ma would have loved to have that many classmates!
ReplyDeleteKisses,
Ruby ♥
Oh no, how horrible for Sis. That's one memory that she probably wishes she can forget.
ReplyDelete