Although IU seniors had many aspects of their final year of college taken away from them due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will end on an almost normal note.
IU President Michael McRobbie announced Feb. 22 in an email that IU will offer an in-person, outdoor commencement ceremony for both class of 2020 and 2021 graduates.
“Everyone was super excited,” IU senior Janie Zeh. “We’re so glad that we have at least one thing that we can do in person and with our whole group because we’ve missed out on so many things, but graduation is one that is exciting and kind of symbolizes the four years of hard work that we’ve done, so I’m excited to be able to have it in person.”
After 2020’s graduation ceremonies turned virtual last year, IU-Bloomington will hold its graduate ceremony May 7 and then the undergraduate ceremony the following day on May 8.
“Commencement is one of the most beloved ceremonies at any university across the nation, and it was an agonizing decision for us to have to cancel it last May,” McRobbie said in the email. “We were all bitterly disappointed that this was necessary.”
Carney said the decision was based on the decreasing COVID-19 positivity rates on campus. This past week, IU reported a 0.2% positivity rate in the latest weekly mitigation testing update.
But the ceremonies won’t look exactly as they did before the pandemic. They will also enforce social distancing and mask guidelines during the event.
“Keeping the protocols in place that have kept us safe,” IU spokesperson Chuck Carney said. “I mean the proof is in the pudding that we’ve had low positivity rates and I think that our students are used to this at this point. And they’ll certainly be willing to do it one last time as they leave.”
Another difference is that in-person attendance will be limited to just graduates, meaning friends and family will have to watch online.
This comes as sad news to parents who have planning for this moment for years now. Andrea Vennetti, an IU parent of a senior, bought several hotel rooms years ago for her entire family to come and celebrate her daughter’s graduation.
But now, they won’t be able to be in Memorial Stadium with her on her big day, and the hotel won’t reimburse them either.
“I’m very sad about not being able to watch her go across the stage,” Vennetti said. “I’ve been prepared because of COVID that the possibility that things may change. But it still hits you kinda deep down. It’s a milestone moment, you’re so proud, you really wanna be there. And to not have that moment, it’s just it’s very heartbreaking.”
Even while parents are heartbroken, their graduates are still excited because they were mentally preparing for a fully virtual graduation ceremony. Now, they’ll still get their moment in Memorial Stadium to toss their caps.
“It’s not as different because when they’re up in the stadium we can’t see them anyway,” Zeh said. “So, them being online is not as different as it might seem, it’s more different for my family and I know that they’re kind of sad, but it’s definitely better than we were hoping for.”