| Thursday night, North High graduates walked across
the stage, and neither staff nor police encountered any problems, Thomas said. This morning inside Keppel, teachers, administrators
and police all wore black and white badges that simply said ‘‘STAFF.’’
Onlookers could only pinpoint police if
they were close enough to identify the tiny radio receivers in their ears.
Thomas said at least 25 to 30 police
officers staffed North’s graduation, although they were hard to spot.
Sporting a black suit and shirt and purple
tie, Salisbury Police Sgt. Steve Whitley said, ‘‘Everything is fine, and
we’re not aware of any problems of any kind.’’
He would not go into details about security
efforts. He would only say, ‘‘Our security plans are in effect and will be in
effect for every graduation.’’
The extra police protection isn’t
making onlookers any more nervous than usual, Whitley said. ‘‘They’re used
to seeing us at any kind of event like this. And we haven’t encountered any
criticism.’’
Normally, at an event like a graduation,
about 10 officers would be present.
Standing outside, Benji Hurlocker, East
graduate, said ‘‘I feel safer. I think the school should have given us more
tickets for family members, though.’’
A few other students said they weren’t
necessarily upset that administrators moved the graduation. They were concerned that
families got only two weeks notice, said Sarah Hoffmire.
Parent Deborah Gail Nelson said she was
just happy that her son, Scottie, was graduating and that she felt her son was safe.
But Lunda Clement was not happy at all.
‘‘I’m a former graduate of East Rowan and so are my grandparents and my
great-grandparents. We have all gone to East Rowan High School, and we all graduated at
the school. It’s a tradition that we would like to see continued at East.’’
As a deputy herself with the Sheriff’s
Department, she said many deputies volunteered their time for security at the graduation
– to keep it at East.
‘‘There’s a lot of deputies
who graduated from East, about half of them or more. They were adamant in trying to keep
it at the high school. Even as a parent, I would have worked for free.’’
Her husband, Robert Clement, the Spencer
officer shot more than a year ago, said, ‘‘They can provide just as good
security at East as here.’’
‘‘They’re not any
safer,’’ Lunda Clement said. ‘‘You always feel safer on your home
territory anyway.’’
As they waited in a side room adjoining the
main auditorium, students didn’t care.
‘‘I think they’re more
worried about jeans,’’ said junior marshal Robert Basinger. The school prohibits
jeans under gowns.
And at that moment, one student had a
crisis over her shoes and whether administrators would let her get away with open toed,
high-riser thonged shoes. Another staff member rushed in with bobby pins to avoid another
crisis.
And then when the big-screen TV came on
showing the stage set with red carnations and empty chairs, the awaiting graduates full of
life and promise all let out a rebel yell. |
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