Almost a week before the Veterans Day assembly, students were prepped on proper assembly etiquette in order for the school to show respect towards the guest speaker and the military traditions.

Col. Thomas Henson thought everyone at the assembly was very respectful. Veteran Peggy Halter agreed. However, JROTC students Shianne Garner, sophomore, and Ronald Hampton, freshman, saw things differently.

Hampton says that during the national anthem he heard many kids around him talking and being disruptive.

“Talking during the national anthem is disrespectful,” said Hampton.

For the most part, Garner said she didn’t have a problem with her peers, but when the assembly was wrapping up and two JROTC students were folding the flag, many students began to laugh.

“I thought it was super disrespectful when the students laughed,” Garner said. “You all need to calm down.”

While she was sitting in the front row, Halter claims that she couldn’t really hear the laughing and didn’t know about it until she was told. She was shocked by this, but at the same time, she figured it was bound to happen.

“I personally thought it was the highlight of the assembly and I thought they did a really good job,” said Halter. “It is disappointing to hear that and very disheartening but I don’t think it was their intent to be disrespectful.”

Halter’s reasoning behind this statement is that it was a Friday and the students were all sitting still for a long time in an assembly. Halter may be disappointed with this one incident, but in the end she was proud with the way everyone was trying their best to be respectful.