After many months of uncertainty, the Indiana University Spring class of 2021 has been assured that an in-person commencement ceremony will be taking place. These ceremonies are set for this upcoming weekend with the graduation ceremony taking place on Friday, May 7th, followed by the undergraduate ceremony on Saturday, May 8th. Both will begin promptly at 10 am, outdoors at Memorial Stadium. The ceremony will include a handout of degrees and a commencement speaker, and all graduates must wear their cap and gown ordered through a distributor, Herff Jones. https://twitter.com/IUNewsroom/status/1388154971586285572
Because of the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak this past year, the 2020 commencement ceremonies occurred strictly online. The students from these graduating classes have been welcomed to attend this year’s ceremony where, though delayed, they will receive recognition for their accomplishments. However, unlike the celebrations in years past, this spring’s commencement ceremony will be limited to graduates only due to Covid-19. In addition to this restriction, there will be multiple health precautions taken to ensure the safety of all students and staff in attendance. This is the first instance of a graduation ceremony taking place at Indiana University during a pandemic. Because an event at such a scale has not been done before under these circumstances, it is important to the school that the event is carried out smoothly and safely. The ceremonies are being prepared alongside the county health departments and IU’s Medical Team to ensure the maximum amount of safety. All students attending must take two COVID-19 tests before the commencement. These tests must be completed between may 2nd and 7th and must be negative. The negative tests must be submitted in order to officially attend. Exemptions are available only for students that have been fully vaccinated before April 24th.
Though families and friends will be unable to attend because of capacity limitations, the event will be live-streamed for them to view. However, despite attempts made to accommodate graduate supporters, there have been mixed reviews regarding the student-only commencement.
Graduating senior, Isabelle Rogers, reflects on the school’s decision to have a graduate-only ceremony by saying, “Both me and my family feel very upset about this decision because we have been looking forward to this moment for many years. My parents have spent a lot of money for me to attend IU, and I’ve been waiting for the day that I got to walk across the stage at graduation and hear my name called with my family watching.” While this decision has clear implications for the emotions of graduating seniors and their families, it is important to also take into consideration the element of safety that played a major role in this school’s decision. Graduating senior, Asha Agarwal, comments on this by saying, “I think it was the right decision for IU to hold graduation virtually and in-person for students only. I think it’s extremely crucial that we’re stopping the spread of the pandemic and not encouraging families, especially grandparents, to travel here during this time of uncertainty.”
Overall, this past year has been a difficult one for the spring graduating class of 2021 and for all the staff, and the school aims to provide these students with the memory of an in-person graduation experience though it will not look the same as the previous year’s. Despite mixed feelings regarding the decision of the school to reserve tickets for the event only for the students, the accomplishments of the students throughout their time at IU do not go unnoticed. While family and friends may not be able to be in attendance, plans can be made to celebrate virtually or at a later date. Congratulations to the class of 2021!
For more information about the Graduate and Undergrad Ceremony’s, head to https://commencement.indiana.edu
