THE ETIQUETTE OF BLACK FRIDAY AT THE BIG BOX STORE.

Only it was graduation day at Howard University's College of Nursing and Allied Health.  "A graduation ceremony for nursing students at Howard University in Washington D.C. was canceled right in the middle of the keynote address Thursday as furious parents who were locked out due to capacity issues pounded on the doors and even smashed a window."

It's like a good sea story, "no s***, this really happened."

1 hurt in chaos after Howard University nursing graduation ceremony reaches maximum capacity 📹: @Dream_Girl_MG https://t.co/BEL54p8OVJ pic.twitter.com/v82nASe5b9

— Allison Papson (@AllisonPapson) May 10, 2024

The university and the fire department subsequently got into a spat over whether the ceremony was first cancelled, then rescheduled for another day, because of fire code violations. (No. Somebody in Student Affairs dropped the ball on issuing tickets the way graduations in public buildings have taken place probably since Plato's Academy.)

Then the dean, Gina Brown, better hope she's got enough Social Credit points, as she might have crossed the line into victim blaming or implicit biases.  "'Because of the size of the room and because our relatives sometimes do not know how to act, the fire department is now here to shut us down,' Dr. Gina S. Brown, dean of the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, said to a roaring response of boos."  That's right, "don't know how to act."  I wonder what sort of stick she's taking from Student Affairs now.

This mother's day weekend Howard University shutdown graduation and blamed the families instead of taking accountability for poor planning. What did you expect when you have the largest graduating class and no headcount limit per graduate. Let them walk at commencement! pic.twitter.com/PipTkmr7D1

— Dee (@darling_daphney) May 10, 2024

The good news is the university was able to reschedule those events for Saturday, May 11, and many of the students and their families and friends were still in town.  Look, as long as you're in the Federal Capital, there are all sorts of touristy and patriotic things one might do.  College Insurrection contributor Mary Chastain notes that many in the class of 2024 had virtual high school graduations during the corona tyranny, and that larger than average throngs of friends and family were out for their graduates.

Somebody in Student Affairs ought be chastised, though, for scheduling ceremonies without issuing tickets.

Thankfully many of the graduates stuck around.

I’m glad they got to walk, especially since so many lost their high school graduation.

It turns out the school left many family and friends of engineering graduates out in the rain on Friday night for the same reason!

Northern Illinois hold multiple graduations in their sports arena, er, convocation center, and students must request tickets for their family and friends.