Does the Punishment Fit The Crime?

Each summer, I get the opportunity to advise students. This includes keeping them on track with finishing their degree, helping them understand the requirements to transfer to a 4 year university, and giving them sound advice so they don't  go into debt for  by making all out make bad choices.  So, I'm in the Advising office and the majority of people I work with are teachers.

We got into a discussion about our expectations when it comes to student conduct. This then transformed into a discussion about how this generation has entitlement issues or have been babied only to their detriment. What's sad is that these are the same jokers failing out of class. One of my colleagues said that it's like they can't be embarassed. Calling a student out in the middle of class, or giving them an F does not embarass them. Good conversation.

This morning the discussion continued but it was directed toward an event that happened at Herndon High. Allegedly several students pulled a senior prank that involved spilling baby oil in the hallway. Some were suspended and were not allowed to walk for graduation. I took the time to read a few articles about the incident and I also looked at the comments that were made. Was it too harsh to keep the kids from walking at graduation? The facts say that the students were stopped and no one got hurt.  Since no one got hurt is taking away their privilege to walk during graduation too harsh?

I took the time to look at the comments and other related articles and my opinion stands in favor of the decision to take away the student's privilege to walk.  Regardless of whether or not someone got hurt the fact remains that this particular prank was intended to cause some serious harm.  I also believe that had the students only got a slap on the wrist they would have grown up to become adults that use the same reasoning to divert attention away from the fact they they made a stupid decision. I'm an educator and I deal with students every day.  For some reason when it comes to responsibility there is none. Everything is everyone else's fault.  I've seen students say they are sorry and pull out all kinds of theatrics just to make a stupid decision all over again.  Since I speak from that mind frame I know I'm biased. I'm also from the old school and my parents didn't play that.  I didn't have the privilege of my parents fighting for me even when what I did was stupid and shameful.

As I looked further into other articles on the matter, I found that only 3 out of the 6 involved got the severe punishment of not being able to walk during graduation. There was a fire alarm pulled during the incident which the culprits said they were not involved in.  There was also a graffiti spraying on the school prior to the baby oil prank.  Pranks are a past time for seniors each year. So with those things in mind, how do you judge the decision of the schools' administration.  I still think they are justified. Leaders set the rules and apply decisions on a case by case basis.  I hate when people that get punished bring up the punishment procedures of another person.  Let's not divert attention away from the fact that YOU did something wrong. The issue is that something was done wrong and there are consequences.  This story is a simple lesson in consequences for this generation that seems to only understand things based on punishment and rewards.  It is what it is.