College graduation is a time for seniors to celebrate and reflect on their college experience in the place that has been their home for the past four years.
This year, UVM proposed moving commencement to the Champlain Valley Exposition and getting rid of the main ceremony, according to an Oct. 14 Cynic article.
As a senior, I find this extremely disappointing. I have been dreaming about graduating with my friends on the Waterman Green: the picture-perfect ending to the past four years in the place where it all started for us during Convocation.
This year’s seniors deserve the graduation they’ve had their hearts set on.
Ninety-seven percent of seniors rated this decision a one or two out of five, one being the lowest, when asked how they feel about commencement being moved to Champlain Valley Expo from Waterman Green, according to a survey of 150 seniors by the Cynic.
“When you attend a school for four years, you see multiple graduations, and so you envision yourself there, and that’s what pushes you through exams, papers, stress, etc. That graduation encompasses your four years here, it’s so important,” stated senior Erin Weidner in the survey.
Senior Olivia Burt shares this opinion.
“I was really looking forward to having the chance to experience graduation with my friends who aren’t in the same college as me. As a first generation college student, I have been looking forward to attending commencement on the green for the last four years,” she stated in the survey.
Kelly O’Malley, UVM’s senior coordinator of presidential events and protocol, stated that one of the main reasons for changing graduation is low turnout, according to the Cynic article.
If students are not happy with the location and form of their graduation, many simply will not go. Many students are outraged by this decision, which will likely cause a further dip in attendance.
Ninety-three percent of seniors stated that they wanted to attend the ceremony, but 80% said that having graduation at the Champlain Valley Expo may impact their decision to attend, according to the Cynic’s survey.
Additionally, many of UVM’s current seniors were high school graduates during the COVID-19 pandemic, which deprived them of a normal high school graduation.
We should not be denied what will be, for many of us, our last chance at a graduation experience.
Kelly O’Malley encouraged students to reach out to her if they feel strongly about this change, according to the Cynic article. I’m begging everyone, please email [email protected].
UVM students should not be cheated out of the commencement we deserve. We deserve to feel a part of the long history and tradition that came before us.
