After several audience members proved disruptive at a recent school event, Greenville High School Principal, Dr. Kathy Murphy, has decided to &uot;lay down the law&uot; on what behavior is and isn’t permissible in the school auditorium.

The principal called an assembly of the entire school body at 9 a.m. on Tuesday morning to discuss auditorium etiquette.

&uot;I do not ever like to take away instructional time from our students and teachers, but I felt this was an issue we had to address. We want to express our expectations of our students’ behavior and let them know that, yes, we are going to tighten the reins,&uot; Dr. Murphy said prior to the assembly.

During the assembly, Murphy told the students they must consider themselves under the guidelines of the Butler County School System Code of Conduct &uot;every time they enter the lobby of the auditorium&uot;. This is regardless of whether it is a daytime, school-sponsored event, or a nighttime event put on by some other organization.

Students were instructed on how to properly enter and exit the auditorium. Dr. Murphy explained how they are expected to conduct themselves whether they are in attendance at a school day or evening event.

For events during the school day, students will be seated by class and homeroom. Students will now go to their homerooms prior to any assembly and will enter and sit with their homeroom teacher during the event. Talking, laughing and other inappropriate behaviors during assemblies and other events held at the school will not be tolerated, said Murphy, and offenders will not simply be warned; they will be asked by someone in authority to leave the auditorium.

Cell phones are another &uot;no-no&uot;. &uot;Our students are not allowed to have cell phones on campus anyway, and adults should know we will not tolerate phones ringing during special events. They need to be turned off.&uot;

Ringing phones, talking and other unacceptable behavior at the recent Miss GHS Pageant provided some of the impetus for Tuesday’s assembly on behavior.

&uot;I was embarrassed at the behavior of some of those in the audience during the Miss GHS pageant. I did attempt to circulate around and get some of those people to be quiet that night.

&uot;Some of these were adults who should have known better; sometimes they are not setting the proper example for the children with them. Some of these were our own students, who also should know better. I do not want to see a repeat of that kind of behavior at our school,&uot; the principal said in a telephone interview on Monday.

It would seem the principal’s strong words have already had an effect on the students.

During the assembly on Friday afternoon with the Honorable Judge Charles Price, students were very &uot;well-behaved&uot;, said one guest at the event. Price himself even commented on the good behavior shown by the GHS students.