CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2020!
After four great years at
Frank McCourt High School,
we wish you four more at
Beloit College!
COURIER L 24 IFE, JUNE 26-JULY 2, 2020
Alternatives
to traditional
graduation
ceremonies
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 on 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 late 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
of 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.
For the thousands of students comprising the class of 2020, social distancing has changed
how they will graduate.
Congratulations Sam Feldman
Class of 2020
Your Loving Grandparents