THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 28, 1995 TAG: 9507270153
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
June 18 was a day my family had been looking forward to for some time. It was the day my youngest daughter was to have graduated from Kempsville High School. It turned out to be one of the saddest days of her life. She was not allowed to walk up with her class and receive her diploma because of a harsh rule: It seems if students miss their rehearsal for whatever reason, they are not allowed to walk up with their class to receive their diploma.
While I understand she should have been at rehearsal, I won't waste time here explaining why she wasn't. The point is this: Is missing a rehearsal worth being banned from something so important in a young person's life? This is something she has worked for 13 of her 18 years. It is also a once-in-a-lifetime situation. She can never get back what was taken from her that day. I am saddened and disappointed and, unfortunately helpless to change it now.
I was led to believe that this is a universal rule but I have heard from a parent at another Beach high school that although they had students miss their rehearsal their principal did not follow through on the rule as did my daughter's. I do not feel this is fair.
I feel the entire rule is unfair. The crime is not so severe that a student as well as her family and friends should have to suffer such harsh punishment for it. I hope this rule is changed before other students have a lifetime memory of their graduation as unhappy as my daughter's. Thanks, Kempsville, for a day we'll never forget.
Georgia Conrad
North Lakeside Drive Lots of help to find son
This is a thank-you letter to all the nice folks at the Boardwalk between McDonald's and Laskin Road on Tuesday, June 27, around dusk. My son was lost and as I was looking for him I prayed the whole time. I came to the restrooms and started calling out his name. By now, I'm a basket case. The washroom attendant came to my aid. She was very calming. She called the police for me and explained to them what was going on. Then another couple stopped and asked for a description, and off they went.
My sister headed down the other side of McDonald's and asked people on Rollerblades to help; they did.
A couple who were near the beach balls on Laskin Road saw a boy standing there and were concerned for him. They asked if he was lost. He said, ``No, I'm waiting for my sister.'' Well, that boy was my son and the other couple who went to look for him saw him and we were reunited. Thank you, Jesus!
Again, I would like to say thank you to all the people who stopped what they were doing to help. As far as I'm concerned, yeah, there is bad out there, but the good will always prevail.
Connie Howard
Virginia Beach by CNB