Twenty-two seniors who have completed every requirement for graduation will not be allowed to walk across the main stage at their graduation ceremonies at Slippery Rock University.  These students are not missing out on their graduation ceremony because of any discipline problem and in actuality will have a small private ceremony that includes only the twenty-two students, family, friends and university officials.  Video of the smaller ceremony will be shown at the main graduation.  Why can these students attend their main graduation ceremony?

They have spent most of the last month teaching in Mexico and the fears of their exposure to swine flu, (now being called H1N1) will keep them from the rest of the party.  The group left Mexico ahead of schedule because of fear of the border closing that would make them miss the ceremonies.  Hundreds of people have called the University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania to inquire about the students being at the graduation ceremonies.  Other schools have canceled graduation ceremonies and high school proms.  Others will continue with ceremonies without the traditional handshake from the dean of the student’s school.  Even athletic teams have been banned from traveling to other schools to participate in sporting events.