By: Jordan Jackson
During the last few months of high school, there are many activities planned for the seniors in order to celebrate all of their hard work throughout high school; The senior picnic, tailgate, boat ride in the Inner Harbor, and crab feast, just to name a few. All of these celebrations lead to the final rite of passage for seniors: graduation. Unfortunately, the coronavirus has put an end to many of these traditions, leaving students across the country feeling disappointed and upset . “I was looking forward to this all senior year, my experience of walking across that stage was taken from out of my control,” said Trey Lewis, a senior at Wilde Lake High School. Students were preparing for the worst possible outcome. While schools were hoping the outbreak would still allow there to be in-person ceremonies, events forbade that from happening. Schools across the country have found many different ways to replace the traditional ceremonies, with alternative methods such as virtual graduation and carpool-diploma pickup.
Over the past few weeks, virtual graduations have typically consisted of pre recorded videos of seniors being edited together, which makes it seem less passionate, and far from traditional. Many students seem to be in favor of the carpool option where they are able to see their teachers for the last time. “I saw all my teachers and that made me so emotional, because I thought I wouldn’t see them for a long time,” said Amriha Amhad, a senior from Centennial High School. Social media platforms such as Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are holding virtual ceremonies with celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Miley Cyrus, and LeBron James. Even though this is a situation where everyone’s feelings are different. People have come to the understanding that this is a precaution for everyone’s safety. Danny Tow, one of the speakers at River Hill’s graduation said, “It’s bittersweet. While I obviously would’ve liked to speak in front of the graduating class and walk across the stage – rather than film my speech in advance and watch as my name flashed across a screen – I understand why the former was just not possible this year. I’ve come to accept that there was nothing I could do to affect whether or not graduation happened, and I’m at peace with it.”
Graduation has more of a deeper meaning than just a ceremony at which degrees or diplomas are given out–it is a chance for graduates to reflect on their journey and accomplishments they have made throughout their high school journeys. “This was a time for me to celebrate with my family and friends on my achievement. I work hard to get where I am today just for it to be shown on a screen.” said Jess, from Mt Hebron High School. Even though times are different, that doesn’t discredit all the hard work graduates had to do to achieve where they are now. They should be celebrated no matter the circumstances.