email:  ckoplien@todaystmj4.com

When officials at schools in South Carolina tell you to hold your applause until the end of their graduation ceremonies, they mean it.

Six people at Fort Mill High School's graduation, and a seventh at York Comprehensive High School's ceremony, were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after they cheered during graduation ceremonies.

Jonathan Orr was taken to jail, where he spent 2 hours, after he yelled for his cousin at York's commencement.

"I just thought they were going to escort me out," Jonathan Orr told The Herald of Rock Hill, about 70 miles north of Columbia. "I had no idea they were going to put handcuffs on me and take me to jail."

All of the cases, except for one that includes a resisting arrest charge (nice going, genius) are punishable by a max of 30 days in the hole and a $1000 fine.

Okay, we've all been to graduations where some of the kids have cheering sections that are loud and boisterous...a little obnoxious.

But jail?

Police have been patrolling the commencements for a few years, at the request of the school districts.  Apparently, bad grad behavior had been increasing over the year.

Orr, who I mentioned above, offered this nugget, "For some people, it might be the only member of their family to graduate high school, and it was like a funeral in there."

While that line is funny on several levels...I think I'll just let it stand on its own.

Nice job, South Carolina.