To the editors:

In light of the recent scandal which has consumed Central High School and the community as well, I would like to offer a different viewpoint.

The Board of Education's decision to allow seniors who still need to fulfill one or two additional credits to participate in graduation exercises, was, I believe, the right one. People argue that this change in policy will tarnish the true meaning of graduation as we have come to know it. These people have failed to look at the big picture.

In Missouri, less than three in four students graduate. While Cape Girardeau is thought to have a better graduation rate, anyone within CHS will tell you about the incredible shrinking class size between the start of ninth grade and the end of twelfth. Therefore, it is ridiculous to quibble over a group of eight seniors who have shown to the administration that they have every intention to complete their remaining credits before the year is over. Furthermore, these are not deadbeats, merely they are students who made a few mistakes along the way but are now willing to do what is necessary to finish high school. Maybe, they are not the shining star group, but offering them a little encouragement during the ceremony does not seem excessive. And they will receive encouragement, not a diploma. I find it very disappointing that a community would be so conservative and narrow-minded that all late-bloomers are thrown out with the trash.

Perhaps, opponents of this issue would be surprised to know that the state-supported Southeast Missouri State University conducts all graduation proceedings prior to final exams. Thus, it is conceivable that some of the students will not graduate at all because they might flunk their final exams. Of course, most do graduate, but the possibility forever persists that some will not. Certainly, this practice is a little more lax than the newly adopted one at CHS.

Finally, the timing of this decision has been disputed. Yes, it was poor timing indeed; however, the students plan to graduate in 1994. Obviously, there was no time left to deliberate; the decision had to be made. Though the policy change should have been made years ago, regrettably, it gave some people in this city raw flesh to chew and all the incentive they needed to ensure a threepeat for failed bond issues.

ERIN RICHES

Sports editor

The Tiger