Graduation ceremonies are more than just an achievement, because for some, they’re also a festivity that warrants self-expression. Still, one student from Illinois got in trouble after she decided to twerk when it was her turn for the diploma-acceptance walk on the stage. As a result, the school removed her from the graduation ceremony and allegedly also withheld her diploma.
Tyvion Campbell, 18, is the student in question, and she was more than happy after graduating with a GPA of 3.5 from Chicago Tech Academy. In the video, you can see Campbell dancing on the stage and performing a split before twerking. According to Campbell, that moment changed the tone of the entire ceremony. “I tried to reach for my diploma, and I didn’t get it,” she told local media. Campbell was “confused at first. I thought they mixed up my name.”
Audience members responded with loud cheers when she completed the split, but Campbell claims school administrators were far less enthusiastic. She said she was escorted away from the ceremony and later informed that her diploma would not be released immediately. According to the graduate, administrators told her she needed to find a way to “make up” for her actions because she had shifted attention away from the ceremony itself.
“It really hurt my feelings,” she said. “This is my graduation, this is my last day, and for you to take that away from me because I did what I thought was fun, it was disappointing.” Campbell argues that no written graduation policy specifically prohibited celebratory dances, splits, or similar gestures during the walk across the stage. She said materials distributed to students and families outlined rules regarding guests and event logistics, but allegedly did not mention disciplinary consequences for on-stage celebrations.
People online are split at her graduation dance
Campbell herself further criticized the school, calling their actions “my discrimination,” though her mode of celebration has sparked sharp divisions online. Some commenters argued that graduation ceremonies should remain formal and focused on all graduates equally, while others said withholding a diploma over a brief dance move was an excessive response.
One X commenter argued, “She is all about her and thinks we care. What’s the big deal? Every one in America is supposed to do the most basic level of education. High School. Is the first step to joining society in being a responsible person. It’s your first step. Not the finish line.” Others thought withholding the diploma was unfair, “You gotta hand over the diploma. They spent 12 years getting there. Who cares? Cough it up.”
Despite the dispute, Campbell says she has no regrets about expressing herself on graduation day. Looking ahead to college, the longtime dancer and cheerleader remains focused on her future and hopes to continue pursuing dance while earning her degree.
