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For the previous 4 years, Shontay Newsome has waited for the day she may just stroll around the degree and obtain her school level from Prairie View A&M College. She rose early on commencement day, Would possibly 13, headed to Prairie View, and encountered what she calls the worst revel in of her lifestyles.
“I can’t even start to provide an explanation for how PV dropped the ball and ruined this second for myself together with the opposite graduates,” Newsome mentioned. “A second that all of us labored so laborious for, a second that our circle of relatives and family members traveled from other towns and states to have fun us, a second that was once meant to be so particular, a second that we will NEVER get again … was once completely ruined through PV’s deficient decision-making because of the elements.”
The forecast had referred to as for inclement climate. PV officers, then again, deliberate to transport ahead with the outdoor rite anyway. However then, early Saturday morning, they made the verdict to transport the development within the Child Dome, which most effective holds a fragment of the visitors.
The pounding rain exacerbated parking, and households discovered themselves caught in motionless site visitors for hours, and not using a parking control.
“The folks or police directing site visitors did a terrible task on best of being extraordinarily impolite. Site visitors was once so subsidized up from households looking for parking for the commencement that it made me THREE HOURS overdue to my very own commencement. A commencement that was once meant to begin at 8:30a.m., which pressured graduates to be up on the crack of first light to arrange. I headed out to the commencement at 6:30a.m. from Katy and I didn’t even arrive on campus till 10a.m. Incredible,” Newsome mentioned.
Households, a lot of whom had traveled from out of the city, had been in tears as they had been pressured to look at the commencement by the use of are living flow on their mobile phones within the automobile, in site visitors that wasn’t shifting. Different members of the family, together with the aged, had been pressured to face outdoor of the Child Dome after officers stopped permitting other folks in.
“That is completely, undoubtedly the worst revel in for those graduates. How dare Prairie View A&M College permit this to occur,” mentioned mother or father Kimberly Belton-Smith. “Not unusual sense says DO NOT PLAN to have the graduation rite outdoor. Forestall being so affordable and pay for a venue that can accommodate all graduates and visitors. Individuals are actually status outdoor within the pouring rain AND lightning. To look those younger other folks of their great apparel and sneakers in hand, operating within the rain, is solely terrible. Unhappy…unhappy…unhappy. And STOP attempting to make use of the darn mini dome. The identify is MINI so it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine that it WILL NOT accommodate the graduates.”
Graduates had been heartbroken as many say they weren’t stated, names had been randomly referred to as and plenty of neglected the development altogether.
“This commencement was once utterly unacceptable. My kid, together with different graduates, labored extraordinarily laborious and didn’t get an opportunity to stroll around the degree. I’m utterly upset in how PV treated this complete inclement climate factor. Six tickets had been issued out to each and every graduate on Friday IF the elements was once dangerous and no longer one price tag was once used.. Additionally we sat in site visitors for two.5 hrs for my daughter to nonetheless MISS her commencement.. One thing must be accomplished for the graduates that neglected their commencement. SO, SO SAD,” mentioned Dana Dockery, whose daughter Khyllia Barnes graduated with a Grasp of Science Accounting level.
Graduates and members of the family say they’ve gained no apology or communique from the college. The Defender reached out to PVAMU officers however as of press time, had no longer gained a remark again.
Let the Other folks Be Heard …
Extra other folks weigh in at the commencement fiasco
It was once ridiculous. I didn’t get to make it in to peer my kid stroll. We made the most efficient of it and moved on. I simply hope for the longer term it’s higher deliberate out. I wouldn’t need the following graduating elegance in their oldsters revel in what we did. I’m simply happy it’s over.
Dionne Furgerson
Completely HORRIBLE revel in and the WORST commencement I’ve ever attended!!!!!!
Chris Parrish
They didn’t plan accordingly, particularly for the elements. It took my buddy two hours to get onto the campus. There have been no site visitors law enforcement officials. They made up our minds after it was once storming to transport the rite into the Child Dome after it was once meant to be at the box. Dome wasn’t large enough so had overflow within the Rec Middle. Turns out like they didn’t put in combination a foul climate contingency plan or both it wasn’t a just right one. Feelings had been top. They referred to as out the names no longer through faculty however through then again you coated up so you’ll have neglected your pupil’s identify when you weren’t listening. It was once a complete mess!
S. Lynn Scott
I feel it was once a good suggestion that they postponed the beginning time as a result of site visitors was once terrible and it was once raining badly. Other folks wanted time to after all make it on campus, park, after which stroll lengthy distances to the place the commencement happened. I nearly didn’t get in as a result of they stopped permitting other folks to go into the dome at one level because of the hearth code. I finished up within the overflow room in a 2nd fitness center, the place lets most effective see the rite however no longer pay attention it for a number of mins because of technical difficulties. We neglected the start and all of Dr. Simmons’ speech. Then again, the entirety was once up and operating by the point the graduates had been referred to as to obtain their levels. The graduates weren’t in alphabetical order, so it was once laborious to grasp when to search for whoever you had been there to beef up. Fortunately, the graduates had playing cards, with their knowledge on them. They passed them to the announcer as they randomly approached the degree. How one of the most students acted as they walked around the degree is a tale on its own. A few of them (principally Greeks) grew to become what must had been a dignified rite right into a sideshow. They stomped, danced and twerked around the degree to obtain their levels. Some did complete routines and got here out of stoles, cords, and caps. One younger girl even bent over in entrance of the president of PV’s face and twerked. It was once shameful. No decorum in any way! I used to be very surprised that the college allowed this type of habits on the graduation. I suppose it was once laborious to deal with the gang at the inside of since the restricted selection of tickets in step with graduate rule was once no longer enforced and there have been greater than 900 graduates. Where was once busting on the seams with other folks. I will be able to’t consider if I used to be a mother or father of probably the most graduates however couldn’t get in. I might’ve been furious.
Noelle Inexperienced-Anderson
Arrival time given through my goddaughter was once 6:45a.m. to verify just right parking and for 7:30a.m. gate to open, for 8a.m. rite… The monsoon in Waller had different plans! Stood within the line outdoor the stadium for an hour within the rain, gates opened for everybody to face beneath the bleachers in rain!! Then, I were given a decision from my goddaughter’s mom to observe the graduates to the Child Dome to attend inside of for some other hour and a few alternate for now a overdue get started…10a.m. So we’re now two hours in the back of time table, graduates nonetheless graduated however in random order and with oldsters/family members in overflow spaces observing a display screen, sadly. It was once unlucky there was once a loss of a climate contingency plan, however they pivoted the most efficient they may, I suppose. However I’ve by no means noticed a conveyor belt of graduates earlier than.
Ayanna Hill
I watched it on-line additionally for sure no longer the similar. We will be able to by no means get that second again. It must had been a greater plan in position.
Veronica Alexander
Congratulations to PVAMU graduates! Despite the elements, have fun this accomplishment. It’s unhappy that PV has been the most efficient till now and fogeys wish to bash the varsity! You are taking it to a spot that then reasons everybody to pay for parking, then that turns into a topic! All issues determine the way it’s meant to, so stay being that fab establishment that such a lot of have youngsters and kinfolk that experience attended.
William Clark
I’m PV Alumni – Magnificence of 95 and I’m unhappy to mention that also in 2023 PV has dropped the ball. Parking is already terrible right here, but there have been a variety of areas within the outdated Hobart Taylor car parking zone, however you wouldn’t permit other folks to pressure all the way down to. My sister had my aged father within the automobile together with her to peer his granddaughter graduate and in reality simply sought after to let him out nearer but you made them park method up around the boulevard on the basic/center faculty and stroll within the rain, getting soaked. Disgrace on you PV. Ashamed to mention I’m Alumni right here. Right here we’re nearly 30 years later and nonetheless losing the ball. We need to do higher, level clean duration.
Teresa Jernigan Jones
For what they, PV, needed to paintings with, I feel it went off in addition to may just’ve been for the instances. I’ll ship my letter on June 1, when the brand new president begins BUT please publish your letter & the fogeys letters to management with date and time stamp in right here as soon as despatched. Then we will proceed this dialog… not anything gets fastened on social media.
Donna Gee
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