Members of the John Carroll School Class of 2013 send their caps skyward as they celebrate after receiving their diplomas during Saturday's graduation ceremony. The identity of the pilot of the small aircraft could not be immediately confirmed Saturday, but the plane made repeated wide circles over the graduates seated on the Gerry Gray Memorial Field, the spectators in the stands and the school buildings behind them.
The plane was not low enough to glimpse its identifying tail number, but the engine noise was loud enough to occasionally drown out the words of graduation speaker Vickie Ensor Bands.
Bands, a 1975 graduate of John Carroll, did not stop her speech, however.
Some graduates and parents were perturbed by the appearance of the aircraft on the special day.
"It was very disrespectful of the parents and students who put so much into this," said Deborah Caperna, of Dundalk, whose son Anthony was one of 169 members of John Carroll's Class of 2013.
She and her son said as they posed for pictures after the ceremony that the pilot did not stop everyone from enjoying the commencement.
"It could have thunderstormed," Caperna said. "It wouldn't have made a difference; God is good, always."
Graduate Jennifer Kreis declined to comment on the plane's appearance.
"It's really exciting," she said of graduating. "I can't believe that our four years are over, and I really love John Carroll and my classmates."
Campus Minister Patti Murphy Dohn said after the ceremony school officials had no comment.
Bel Air Police Chief Leo Matrangola wrote in an e-mail Saturday evening that the town Police Department had received a complaint about the plane, and officials planned to follow up with the "complainant" and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Story and Comments/Reaction: http://www.baltimoresun.com
No comments:
Post a Comment