By Aaron Miller / For The Republic
There is no way to sugar coat it. The 2020 graduates are getting a bum deal.
Whether celebrating a high school diploma or a college degree, the graduates worked hard to earn their education. They set goals and made sacrifices to walk across the stage in a moment of glory.
My favorite part of a graduation ceremony is when the master of ceremonies asks the audience to hold their applause to the end to save time. The audience immediately disregards these instructions and cheers for every graduate. After all, every graduate deserves their own individual accolades.
Their friends and families who supported them along the journey want a chance to celebrate, too. Graduation is a sum of all of the learning that has taken place before. It is more than the last few years; it is the culmination of all their education. Graduation is a celebration of an individual’s accomplishments, but also marks the progress of our society.
Graduation is about the future, too. Graduates are off to face new challenges and embrace new opportunities. The ceremony serves as a reminder of the importance of lifelong learning. It is a signpost on the road of knowledge, not the final destination.
Ivy Tech will hold a virtual commencement ceremony on May 15. When it is safe to return to social gatherings, the college plans to hold an in-person celebration.
The high schools in our community are also planning alternative ceremonies and finding unique ways to celebrate their graduates. These ceremonies are not what we had planned for, but they will still be meaningful and important celebrations at a time when we need it.
The decision to have virtual celebrations was a difficult one. But it was the right one. Large gatherings are dangerous right now. One of the COVID-19 hotspots in Indiana was the site of a sectional basketball game.
The COVID-19 pandemic also robbed high school seniors of their final seasons in sports, prom, awards banquets, and college visits. Now they also face an uncertain future.
The graduates know that missing out on these rites of passages pales in comparison to what other people are facing: illness and death. They worry about the health and safety of their own friends and families. The graduates also know there is a tremendous amount of economic suffering, too.
They know that first-hand. So while they can put missing graduation into context, it still doesn’t help with the bum deal.
I could give a history lesson on how other graduates in other times have faced tough situations. During World War II, many students didn’t even finish high school. Instead, they went to fight a war. During the Vietnam War, graduates were drafted and also went to fight in a war.
Throughout American history, many families couldn’t afford an education. Instead of going to school, children had to go to work to help the family survive. Unfortunately, poverty continues to interfere with the education and graduation of many of our students. But awareness of that history also won’t help with the bum deal.
We will celebrate in person when doctors and scientists tell us that the disease has safely subsided. Until then, congratulations to all of the graduates.
Aaron Miller is one of The Republic’s community columnists and all opinions expressed are those of the writer. He has a doctorate in history and is an associate professor of history at Ivy Tech Community College — Columbus. Send comments to [email protected].
