Valedictorian denied diploma after Twilight speech

[pixy0stix]

An Oklahoma high school valedictorian who used the word "hell" in her graduation speech in May has yet to receive her diploma.

Kaitlin Nootbaar graduated from Prague High School with a 4.0 grade point average, her father, David Nootbaar, told KFOR-TV. But school administrators told him that Kaitlin would have to submit a written apology in order to get her diploma.

"We went to the office and asked for the diploma and the principal said, 'Your diploma is right here but you're not getting it. Close the door, we have a problem,'" David Nootbaar told the network.

"She worked so hard to stay at the top of her class," he said. "This is not right."
news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/valedictorian-denied-diploma-speech-hell-134805221.html

In her speech—inspired by a similar address in "Eclipse: The Twilight Saga"—Kaitlin recounted how annoying it is to be constantly asked what she wants to do as graduation approached. "How the hell do I know?" she said, according to her father. "I've changed my mind so many times."

In the version she submitted to the school for approval, "hell" was "heck." But in the version she delivered at graduation, "hell" it was.

The school declined to comment. "This matter is confidential and we cannot publicly say anything about it," Prague schools Superintendent Rick Martin said in a statement to KFOR.

[laurenpetro]

what an idiot. sounds like she finally realized that the movies =/= real life.

[emilyj]

Oh noes!!! She said HELL. Clearly she should not graduate!!!

I'm a little more upset that she plagiarized Twilight than that she said "hell".

[aw]

Well, welcome to the real world Kaitlin. If you submitted a draft of a speech to an employer who did not allow for profanity and then deviated from the approved speech while giving it, there would be consequences. Suck it up and write the apology.

As far as hell being a cuss word, I'm surprised. While I don't say it in that context, I always assumed that it wasn't a big deal to most people.

[pixy0stix]

Aug 20, 2012 11:24:30 GMT -5 emilyj said:

I'm a little more upset that she plagiarized Twilight than that she said "hell".

I'm wondering if that's what the school is upset about (plagiarizing), more so than "hell."

I've never read the books, though, so I don't know what all that scene entailed.

[overture]

Aug 20, 2012 11:22:48 GMT -5 laurenpetro said:

what an idiot. sounds like she finally realized that the movies =/= real life.

She said "hell." It's not like she told the principal to go fuck himself.

Yeah, it was pretty embarrassing to use Twilight at one's inspiration for a graduation speech, but come on. She's a teenager. I'm sure she'll be embarrassed enough as it is just watching a video of it in five years.

[pinkeggs]

Aug 20, 2012 11:28:53 GMT -5 aw said:

Well, welcome to the real world Kaitlin. If you submitted a draft of a speech to an employer who did not allow for profanity and then deviated from the approved speech while giving it, there would be consequences. Suck it up and write the apology.

As far as hell being a cuss word, I'm surprised. While I don't say it in that context, I always assumed that it wasn't a big deal to most people.

While I don't think the word hell is a big deal, this is a good point.

[susiederkins]

Aug 20, 2012 11:28:53 GMT -5 aw said:

Well, welcome to the real world Kaitlin. If you submitted a draft of a speech to an employer who did not allow for profanity and then deviated from the approved speech while giving it, there would be consequences. Suck it up and write the apology.

If an employee did this, firing is a possible consequence. However, they don’t have a right to withhold her last paycheck until they get an apology.

Since it's unlikely the requirements for graduation include a "hell"-free speech, she is entitled to her diploma.

[MrsAxilla]

Aug 20, 2012 11:51:36 GMT -5 susiederkins said:

Aug 20, 2012 11:28:53 GMT -5 aw said:

Well, welcome to the real world Kaitlin. If you submitted a draft of a speech to an employer who did not allow for profanity and then deviated from the approved speech while giving it, there would be consequences. Suck it up and write the apology.

If an employee did this, firing is a possible consequence. However, they donÂ’t have a right to withhold her last paycheck until they get an apology.

Since it's unlikely the requirements for graduation include a "hell"-free speech, she is entitled to her diploma.

I agree with both of you, BUT schools can hold diplomas for library fines and such, so she should write the apology and be done.

[aw]

Aug 20, 2012 12:13:00 GMT -5 MrsAxilla said:

Aug 20, 2012 11:51:36 GMT -5 susiederkins said:

If an employee did this, firing is a possible consequence. However, they donÂ’t have a right to withhold her last paycheck until they get an apology.

Since it's unlikely the requirements for graduation include a "hell"-free speech, she is entitled to her diploma.

I agree with both of you, BUT schools can hold diplomas for library fines and such, so she should write the apology and be done.

Yeah, my real world statement doesn't completely hold up, because in many ways school isn't like a job. But since the point of school is to prepare students for gainful employment in the real world, I don't think it hurts to teach this girl how her actions can have consequences.

[emmybean]

If this isn't really about her plagiarism, the school needs to shut the hell up.

[315bride]

I still don't understand how a school can justify withholding an education diploma for a speech. Unless that speech was a graduation requirement, there is no connection.

[tinafey]

Dear Principal,
Oh heck, I am sorry now give me my effing gd dipolma

[pixy0stix]

Aug 20, 2012 12:33:33 GMT -5 @315bride said:

I still don't understand how a school can justify withholding an education diploma for a speech. Unless that speech was a graduation requirement, there is no connection.

If it is plagiarism, it's tied into the their academic record.

I wonder if there is more to the story.

[overture]

I'm confused as to why her father took this to the media. I feel like most parents' response would have been "Just write the freaking letter, Kaitlin. The Twilight speech is not worth fighting for."

[315bride]

Aug 20, 2012 12:36:28 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Aug 20, 2012 12:33:33 GMT -5 @315bride said:

I still don't understand how a school can justify withholding an education diploma for a speech. Unless that speech was a graduation requirement, there is no connection.

If it is plagiarism, it's tied into the their academic record.

I wonder if there is more to the story.

Shouldn't that have been addressed when she submitted for approval? That's what's making me confused.

[pixy0stix]

Aug 20, 2012 12:39:22 GMT -5 @315bride said:

Aug 20, 2012 12:36:28 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

If it is plagiarism, it's tied into the their academic record.

I wonder if there is more to the story.

Shouldn't that have been addressed when she submitted for approval? That's what's making me confused.

It might have been, and they asked her to change it. Then she didn't, and hence the holding of the diploma.

Or maybe none of that happened and it really is over "hell." I'm leaning towards the logical of plagiarism, vs. the illogical of being upset over hell.

[Nonny]

Is this actually a case of plagiarism anyway? Having her speech being inspired by Stephanie Meyer's drivel isn't the same as reading it verbatim. I'm also willing to believe that she maybe even intended to say "heck" and had "hell" slip out because she was reciting from memory and not reading a written copy. I mean, who hasn't misspoken when giving a speech? I was part of the speech team and gave speeches regularly and I still flubbed occasionally.

From what little I know about this story it seems like the school is blowing this WAY out of proportion and they should just pony up with the diploma.

[pixy0stix]

It depends on how closely she copied the speech.

Again, having never read the book, I have no idea what this scene entailed.

[ttt]

Aug 20, 2012 12:37:28 GMT -5 overture said:

I'm confused as to why her father took this to the media. I feel like most parents' response would have been "Just write the freaking letter, Kaitlin. The Twilight speech is not worth fighting for."

I think the parents' reaction explains a lot about the student's behavior.

[Nonny]

I found the Twilight grad speech on YouTube that was in the movie -- www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q7su3Cc3sI

They are similar, but it based on the article it doesn't seem like flat out plagiarism.

[ttt]

I doubt it's about plagiarism. They told her to take something out of her speech, she agreed, then she deliberately went against it. All she has to do is apologize. I don't think this is that unreasonable.

[Nonny]

But really if they want a written apology she could always go with the political non-apology apology.

Dear administration,
I'm sorry you were offended by my use of the word "hell" instead of the word "heck." I misspoke.

Fuckyouverymuch,
Kaitlin

[Deleted]

LOL.

Hell. Good enough for G-rated Disney's "Cars," but not for high school.

[meshaliuknits]

Aug 20, 2012 12:59:14 GMT -5 Nonny said:

But really if they want a written apology she could always go with the political non-apology apology.

Dear administration,
I'm sorry you were offended by my use of the word "hell" instead of the word "heck." I misspoke.

Fuckyouverymuch,
Kaitlin

lol :heart:

[315bride]

Aug 20, 2012 12:58:49 GMT -5 ttt said:

I doubt it's about plagiarism. They told her to take something out of her speech, she agreed, then she deliberately went against it. All she has to do is apologize. I don't think this is that unreasonable.

Intention to say the word 'hell?' I'm just aghast that, if this is really the case, they would make such an issue of it. It's really hard to say she deliberately said anything. Benefit of the doubt: she was nervous and it slipped out. Even if she *deliberately* blurted out the word 'fuck' are we really saying she deserved to not graduate?

[aw]

Aug 20, 2012 13:26:49 GMT -5 @315bride said:

Aug 20, 2012 12:58:49 GMT -5 ttt said:

I doubt it's about plagiarism. They told her to take something out of her speech, she agreed, then she deliberately went against it. All she has to do is apologize. I don't think this is that unreasonable.

Intention to say the word 'hell?' I'm just aghast that, if this is really the case, they would make such an issue of it. It's really hard to say she deliberately said anything. Benefit of the doubt: she was nervous and it slipped out. Even if she *deliberately* blurted out the word 'fuck' are we really saying she deserved to not graduate?

I wonder what the policy is about profanity at graduation for the general student population, not just the speakers. I remember being given a blank diploma cover during commencement and then we picked up our actual copies after the ceremony, because we wouldn't get ours if we did anything crazy on stage. I'm assuming this meant cursing, any offensive gestures, or anything else disruptive. Perhaps the admins are approaching "hell" from that angle. But I'm assuming it's because she deviated from the approved script after the already told her to make the change.

[pedanticwench]

Oh come on. What is the big deal?

[laurenpetro]

if she knew to keep it out of the draft of the speech in order to get it passed then she knew she wasn't supposed to say it in her speech.

[basilosaurus]

As a parent I'd make her right the damn (sorry, gosh darn) letter. As a parent I'd also be pissed that the school was withholding a diploma the kid rightfully earned. A graduation speech is not a condition of graduation.