Graduation plans overthown

Emily Richmond, Las Vegas Sun

Saturday, June 9, 2007 | 7:32 a.m.

The graduating senior from Rancho High School sent out a news release announcing his plans for civil disobedience.

The rule that graduates may not toss their caps into the air - because someone might get hurt when they come back down - was depriving students of a rite of passage, Chris Foster wrote.

"Heck, for all we know, Chaucer tossed his cap at his school graduation way back in the 1300 s," wrote our graduating senior, cleverly displaying some knowledge of English lit. "Conversations with my fellow students and support from my parents ignited my passion for one issue: Graduation hats should be thrown."

We got him on the phone.

What's with the news release?

"If I can get the media interested, that'll help me get enough seniors to do it and make a fuss," Chris explains.

You'd risk not receiving your diploma, just to toss your mortarboard?

"There's no real importance to the ceremony except taking a couple of pictures and pleasing the audience," says Chris, who will be an engineering student at UNLV in the fall. "If we just have to stand up, walk around a bit and sit down, what's the point? The worst that can happen is that I stand up for myself. I can stand up for what I believe is a very important tradition."

Chris says his father is on his side.

We need to talk to him.

"I definitely support him," says dad, Richard Foster. "I'm blown away that the school has banned this."

Actually, sir, this is a Clark County School District regulation. In fact, many districts across the country ban the tossing of graduation caps .

"Really?" Foster asks.

He pauses.

"If this is districtwide and even nationwide, we need to be realistic and look at what the times are," Foster says. "This definitely changes my attitude."

So, will Chris be hurling a lone green cap into the air Tuesday at the Thomas & Mack Center?

No.