Blankets Thrown to the Ground at So. Utah H.S. Graduation

Saving Seats Days in Advance

High School graduation ceremonies in Southern Utah became a battle over saved seats when parents and relatives began entering the football stadiums and placing blankets on benches. Some had more problems than others. Crimson Cliffs became a fierce battle and things heated up online. 

At first there were some complaints on Facebook about people placing blankets on benches a couple of days before the graduation ceremony. When someone responded in the comments that a blanket wouldn’t save the seat, and they would just remove them, the comments exploded. 

Facebook Rants Stirred up a Sense of Panic

Hundreds of comments poured in weighing in on the controversy. There were stories of people hopping the fence at night and using duct tape to secure their space. Many worried there were no unclaimed seats left and they would have to stand. Others worried there would be no parking nearby.

At one point the Crimson Cliffs Principal, Kim Monkres, responded and assured everyone there would be enough seats and that it would be a first come first serve basis as always. She said that a blanket on the bench would not guarantee a seat. 

Blankets Removed at 2 AM and Tossed to the Ground

We arrived at the school an hour before the start of the ceremony and passed many parking spots along the road. However, there were several spaces in the parking lot available and we parked just outside the school.

When we walked into the stadium, we found blankets piled on the track. One of the police officers on hand told me that someone had come into the stadium around 2 AM and pulled them off the benches. I asked if that is why he and the officer were there and he said, “no, we would be here anyway.” 

Not surprisingly, there ended up being plenty of seating as Principal Monkres had said. There were no confrontations, though there were those who quietly went and picked up their blankets from the track. 

Read More: Why Uber CEO Blames is Blaming Utah For Problems

This is a case of rumors getting the better of us. It is always good to take a moment and get our emotions in check before pounding on the keyboard and creating a panic.