JUNE 2020 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 47
REMOTE LEARNING
ONLINE GRADUATIONS
ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL MOVING-UP CEREMONIES
Graduation has become a modify-as-you-go model in many towns and cities.
When the novel coronavirus COVID-19
struck the world at the end of 2019, few
people anticipated just how much the
virus would upend daily life in the
months to come. Because there currently
is no cure or standardized treatment for
the disease, the best course of action has
involved maintaining social distance to
help cut down the rate of spread.
Social distancing has changed the way
the public shops, interacts socially with
friends and family members, and attends
school. For the thousands of students
comprising the class of 2020, social
distancing also changes how they will
graduate.
Graduation decisions are something high
schools and colleges have grappled with
in the face of social distancing. Graduation
has become a modify-as-you-go
model in many towns and cities. In some
instances, all in-person ceremonies have
been restricted and virtual-only graduations
will take place. For example, New
Jersey’s Department of Education was
only allowing virtual graduation events
as graduation season approached.
Other parts of the country have been
approaching graduation plans in various
ways. The Tucson Unified School District
postponed its graduation ceremonies to
mid-June rather than canceling them
altogether. Schools in Spotsylvania and
Fauquier counties in Virginia held modified
versions of in-person ceremonies
in May, which limited the number of
family members in attendance and required
relatives to hand out diplomas as
a safety precaution. Students in Cherry
Creek School District in Colorado found
out they will have a modified in-person,
students-only graduation ceremony in
July. Relatives can watch the ceremony
on a live stream.
The Army will proceed with this year’s
graduation ceremony at the U.S. Military
Academy at West Point in June, with
President Donald Trump giving the
commencement speech for cadets. The
1,000 cadets will return to campus to
attend the ceremony, which will include
procession changes and other social
distancing modifications in line with
current health requirements.
Whether a school hosts a graduation
ceremony in person or not, families can
organize their own at-home graduations.
All relatives who are graduating (whether
from high school, college or even those
moving up from fifth grade to middle
school and eighth grade to high school)
can participate. Here are a few tips:
• Pool resources to borrow the right
number of caps or gowns from friends
or family.
• Play Pomp and Circumstance over a
bluetooth speaker.
• Have the graduates march around the
perimeter of a yard or down a neighborhood
street.
• Ask a relative to give a keynote speech.
• Take graduation photos outside the
school doors or on campus where
allowed.
• Cater a graduation luncheon or dinner
from a favorite neighborhood eatery.
• Employ all necessary safety precautions,
such as seating guests six feet apart
from one another and wearing masks.
Graduation ceremonies have changed
due to COVID-19, but graduates can still
commemorate this milestone moment in
their lives.
-Via Metro Creative Connection
“Graduation ceremonies have changed due to
COVID-19, but graduates can still commemorate
this milestone.”
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
