The class of 2020 received a graduation ceremony like no other. They participated in a graduation parade through town last Thursday evening, and at the end of this parade, each graduate walked across the stage to receive his or her diploma case and turn his or her tassel. I had the opportunity to ride along during the graduation parade, so I witnessed all of this up close; the community support was terrific, and the coordination of the parade and ceremony was unparalleled.
As everyone lined up for the procession, each student lined up in alphabetical order, and with students arriving at different times, this could potentially cause issues, especially with around 100 cars in the procession. However, the officials at Union High School planned all of this terrifically. Students checked in at multiple checkpoints in order to prevent the cars from becoming too congested. The processions began at the middle school, and the line of cars stretched all the way down the hill to the road by the playground. Each student had a number for his or her cars, and everything went relatively smoothly. As the students prepared to cross the stage and receive their diploma cases, the faculty of Union High School properly respected all social distancing guidelines, and for those riding in the parade, all social distancing guidelines were also respected. Union High School clearly planned this ceremony out in order for everything to function properly, and the school and school officials deserve recognition for this unparalleled feat.
As we rode through Union in the parade, the community support for these graduates was terrific. Although the guidelines of social distancing became kind of fuzzy and relaxed for the community, many people came out to watch this parade while remaining in their cars, and some others did stay with their families. The community turned out to support the class of 2020, and this graduation ceremony will be remembered for years to come. In addition to the parade, Union Public School District’s Facebook page streamed this ceremony live, and the video is still on their page for all to see. This was not the graduation ceremony that the class of 2020 envisioned at the beginning of their senior year, but everyone will remember this unique ceremony for years to come.
The coronavirus pandemic has tremendously affected everyone. For the class of 2020, the pandemic cut their senior year short, and they did not get to experience all of their last end-of-the-year banquets or festivities. Many friends and family members did not get to see them graduate at a traditional ceremony. Despite all of this, the class of 2020 overcame everything in order to celebrate their graduation in a unique way. The community support was terrific, and the planning of the school officials allowed all of this to be possible. The words of Alfred, Lord Tennyson in his poem “Ulysses” accurately describes the class of 2020: “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” The class of 2020 has persisted in spite of adversity, and they have overcome this obstacle in order to complete this milestone in their lives.
