Graduation is seen as a very important time for a student, no matter the grade. College students have graduated from kindergarten, elementary school, middle school and high school.
It’s something they remember and talk about as they grow up to reflect on memories.
But what if graduation was taken away from them or forced to change due to things out of their control? COVID-19 has caused uncertainty about whether graduation should be made into an online event this year.
While COVID-19 is a serious issue and there is a need for safety precautions, graduation is a unique case. It should not be moved online. It should be postponed until a safer time when it can be celebrated in-person.
People will feel heartbroken that something they have worked years on attaining, both physically and mentally, can be ripped away from them. Online graduation simply doesn’t feel the same as an in-person graduation.
It’s not only the students graduating who would feel torn up, it’s also the people behind the scenes, who supported the students in achieving their academic success.
Online may be safe, and even cheaper, but it removes a massive chunk of the college experience.
Postponing graduation would make it so that students can stay home and stay safe but also prepare for it more. They could have more time to practice their speeches and even decorate their caps.
I’m quite close to graduating myself, and if it ended up being cancelled due to the pandemic, while I’d understand it, I would honestly feel devastated. Students have been preparing to graduate for years and an online graduation would feel awkward. It would lose a lot of value.
It wouldn’t feel the same to hear a commencement speech from a living room and receiving a diploma paper via email compared to hearing it in person and being physically there.
People should be allowed to feel sad about this and push for a delay. Graduating from college is something you rarely get to do again. Why take away that opportunity entirely when it can simply be pushed to a later and safer time?
