Class of 2020 concerned about graduation ceremony

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VM Smith

2019 graduates light candles to close out the last year’s ceremony at the Allen County Memorial Coliseum. This year’s graduation ceremony has been postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak.

In life years of work can all come down to one significant moment. For instance, getting your first job and or getting a raise. Making your way onto the field for the championship game of your sport. Or simply feeling gratified after hours of organizing that closet that has been put off for months.

A key moment in almost anyone’s life is there day of graduation. The day that 12 years of work and memories come to ahead. A time where one door closes and another opens. But due to current events, of course, is the outbreak of COVID-19. Large gatherings across the world have been stopped in the name of trying to stop the virus.

On June 7, the class of 2020 is supposed to take their final bows as Chargers and take the leap into the next part of their lives, but like anything now, everything is subject to change. Principal Brandon Bitting has been working hard to make sure experiences like graduation can still occur.

“Currently, we are not going to make determinations about the commencement ceremony until we get into May and hopefully have some clarity under the social guidelines we may be working under. We are continuing to look at different scenarios, but really, we want to wait more before we start going down that road. We are determined to provide a graduation experience for our seniors and continue to stay positive that everything will work out,” said Mr.  Bitting.

Currently, the original date for graduation is a little under two months away. With the class of 2020 like all other students around the world continue their school year over a laptop screen. For some seniors, this has been the ultimate cure for “senioritis” being able to get out early.

But for others, it’s a nightmare that couldn’t have come at a worse time. Senior Ally Coleman fits into the latter category.

“I feel like graduation is a time to reflect and be proud of our past 12 years of work. Everything really builds to this moment. Seeing some of your classmates for the last time. And being rewarded for the endless hours of studying and determination to get where you are on that day. It’s really the final page in our book and everything would just feel incomplete without it,” said Ally.

There are countless amounts of alternate possibilities that could occur if graduation is changed. That could be something as easy as a few weeks or as scary as a few months. Some have started to fear about online graduation.

For now, though seniors can be a little more at ease knowing that they have not been forgotten and that the  faculty is working very hard to make sure they get the proper send off. Mrs. Sherri Shade is one of the teachers helping to plan this ceremony.

“As you probably know nothing has been set in stone about graduation yet. At this time though we are still hopeful that everything will go as planned and we can have our ceremony on June 7. For now, we are awaiting more news and the final answer will be decided by Mr. Bitting,” said Mrs. Shade.

To the class of 2020, this was never planned or supposed to happen. No one ever dreamed that these events would occur, and everything would suddenly be in jeopardy. We are all confused, scared, and let down. But something that must be remembered is you aren’t alone. The class of 2020 may not be in school together under one building, but we are still together as a class that has gone through so much these past 12 years, keep holding on.