12SPRING/SUMMER STUDENT LIFE GRADUATING WAS THE PRIORITY of any student working on their degree. The spring 2021 commencement ceremony offered familiar celebrations alongside unique procedures due to COVID-19. It was the first open commencement ceremony since the fall of 2019, as spring 2020 was remote, and fall 2020 was closed to the public. Traditionally, graduation consisted of three ceremonies in one day. However, the spring 2021 graduation consisted of five separate commencement ceremonies over the course of May 7 and 8. Guests were allowed to attend with tickets or stream it online. Normally, the commencement ceremony allowed anyone to enter up to one hour before it began. For spring 2021, tickets were issued for all guests, which allowed for social distancing and a smoother entry. Junior Kate Turner expressed appreciation for being able to attend her sister Rebekah Turner’s commencement ceremony. “I just liked being able to go because only four tickets were given out per student, so I didn’t even know if I was going to be able to see her graduation,” Kate Turner said. “I was able to go, and I was grateful for that because I didn’t think that was a possibility at one point.” Alumna Anna Pinson had concerns due to the pandemic, but she agreed the ceremony was a success. “I will say, I felt pretty safe in terms of social distancing,” Pinson said. “I thought it was handled well. They made it seem very much like a normal graduation as much as they could, given the scenario.” COVID-19 precautions included distanced seating, masks available at every seat, multiple ceremonies and ticketed entry. The precautions did not stop the celebration of students and families. “It’s always exciting to see the students when they’re all done and there’s that celebration at the end,” University Registrar Tod Martin said. “It’s really fun, the sense of accomplishment that you see, the pride of students and their parents.” The first open commencement ceremony after a year and a half welcomed much excitement in honoring the graduates with a crowd of people once again. “It was good to be back together,” Wil Perkins, graduate registrar, said. “It was a completely different atmosphere, and it just made a world of difference with graduates.” WRITTEN BY CAROLINE SLATER The spring 2021 graduation commencement ceremony is in person again on the George S. Benson stage. IN THE DISTANCE President David Burks speaks at the spring 2021 commencement ceremony in the George S. Benson Auditorium. This ceremony looked different than previous years because of the precautions that took place. Photo courtesy of: Jeff Montgomery Back On The BENSON
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