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Today's Letters: Graduates deserve dignified ceremony

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published April 25, 2007

Batter up after grads file out April 3, story

Your article about the graduation ceremony dilemma at Tropicana Field this year failed to delve far enough into the repercussions this schedule will have on our graduates and their families. Don't our graduates deserve more than to be herded quickly in and out of a sports facility for this special ceremony?

Am I the only person who feels that for Gibbs High to hold its ceremony at 7:30 a.m. is more than a little inconvenient for students and their families? Am I to assume that less time for the ceremony means less time for distinguished speakers and awards? This is unacceptable.

I am a fifth-year teacher of seniors here in south Pinellas County, and I can tell you that many of my colleagues and I have questioned the propriety of having the ceremony at the Trop at all. It's painful to sit through the ceremony and observe the lack of decorum coming from the stands. The crowd never stops talking, and cell phones never stop ringing. You would hope graduates' families would be polite in any environment, but any social scientist will tell you that surroundings make a difference in behavior.

The responsibility for this situation lies squarely with district and school administrators. They should come up with a better solution for our students and their families.

Dustin Buchheister, St. Petersburg

Help appreciated

We would like to let Herb Polson, our St. Petersburg City Council member, know how much we appreciate his help and concern for our Jungle Terrace neighborhood. When we had a problem, we contacted him even though he had been in office for less than a week.

He came to our home, talked with us and some of our neighbors, and began to work on our problem. He is still very involved with us.

We also appreciate the efforts of a city worker named Julie Weston. She is another person who has been working for us and with us.

We felt that these two individuals deserved a pat on the back.

Roger & Pattie Remy, St. Petersburg

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We invite readers to write to us. Letters for publication should be addressed to Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. They can be faxed to (727) 893-8675 or sent to www.sptimes.com/letters/. They should be brief and must include the writer's name, address and phone number. Please include a handwritten signature when possible. Letters may be edited for clarity, taste and length. We regret that not all letters can be published.

[Last modified April 25, 2007, 00:29:42]