President and Dean of Students offer insights into upcoming virtual ceremony
By Claire Higginson
Observer Contributor
Due to the spread of COVID-19, MWCC has not only decided to shut down classes for the rest of the semester, but all in-person activities as well, including the Commencement Ceremony for the Class of 2020.
“The decision not to have an in-person commencement was the most difficult decision I’ve had to make,” said MWCC President James Vander Hooven.
“I never imagined a scenario where we would not have an in-person commencement, however, given the circumstances we are facing, I can see no other option that will maximize the health and safety of our students, their families, the faculty, and staff.”
President Vander Hooven explained that simply postponing the ceremonies to a later date was not a realistic option. With the nature of the virus, there is no assurance that such a large ceremony could be held within a month or two. Waiting longer than that would be difficult because the graduated students will have dispersed and moved on to new areas and responsibilities.
Jason Zelesky, Dean of Students, has been working hard with President Vander Hooven and a team of media specialists to plan the event. The ceremony will now be filmed using the MWCC’s media and television studio and will be edited together prior to being aired on May 20th at 6 p.m., the same time and date as the usual in-person commencement ceremony.
Filming has been taking place for several weeks and will continue up until a few days before the ceremony airs. In order to maintain maximum safety guidelines in light of the pandemic, each presenter will speak in the studio alone, then the studio will be cleaned thoroughly before filming the next speaker. The recordings will then be edited together to follow the exact same format and flow of in-person commencement. The names of graduates will be read aloud and will scroll across the screen as the ceremony progresses.
The ceremony will still have a student speaker, who is yet to be determined, and a commencement speaker, Maria Vazquez, a local speaker and empowerment coach.
Vazquez’s speech will be about strength, perseverance, and empathy as she encourages students to look at the situation from a more positive perspective.
“When I was informed that the graduation was going to be done virtually, I was excited to know that the college was dedicated to creating an event to celebrate the students,” said Vazquez. “In times like these, we have to be willing to adapt.”
The Gateway and Pathways Graduation Ceremony will be created in the same manner and aired on May 29th.
Nursing and Dental program Pinning Ceremonies have been postponed to a later date until it is safe to do them in person, possibly as early as the fall.
In order to be as accommodating as possible, Zelesky said that graduating students will receive a Commencement Packet on May 15th, which includes a cap and gown, their diploma cover, a commemorative commencement program, and a few special gifts from MWCC.
“We hope that students will celebrate with their families, wear their cap and gown in their living rooms, take photos and enjoy the ceremony in the comfort and safety of their homes,” said Zelesky.
“We know that this is not ideal, but we also want it to be special. Our graduates have worked hard to get to this place, and a team of folks at MWCC have been working hard to make this a special event.”
If any students still wish to walk across the stage in person, MWCC is also offering any of this year’s graduates the option to walk during the 2021 in-person Commencement next May.
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