Graduation Beach Balls Stopped

During last night's high school graduation ceremony, several beach balls and other inflatable items bounced through the graduating class. Each item was taken by a teacher chaperone or school administrator.

Each year, Westfield tradition dictates the graduating class trying to toss the inflatable items in the air as a celebration of their final time together as a class. The teacher chaperones and administrators jumped into action to take the items away, saying it distracts from the ceremony.

"When students go up to receive their diploma and shake hands with the board president, it is their moment to savor," said Jeremy Davies, WHS supervisor of instruction and curriculum, who was enforcing the beach ball ban this year. "Beach balls take away from that and distracts from the ceremony. The audience is trained on that."

Davies estimates that this year he and the teacher chaperones took about 15 inflatable items from the graduating class. In addition to beach balls, these included an inflatable whale and bird. One graduate said the stopping of the beach balls is part of the fun.

"It's always a tradition that we bring them and they are confiscated," graduating senior Matt DeMasi said. "I don't blame them that much."