Photo courtesy of Hamilton College
On April 7, 2020, President David Wippman announced to the community that the College had made the decision to postpone the in-person Commencement ceremony originally scheduled for May 24 due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As President Wippman explained in his separate email address to the Class of 2020, Hamilton held its first formal graduation ceremony in 1815 for six students, serving as a way to celebrate the outgoing seniors’ accomplishments. Traditionally celebrated in the Margaret Bundy Scott Field House, “Commencement has been one of the most important, joyous, and meaningful of the events and traditions that define college life,” President Wippman told the Class of 2020.
However, with the coronavirus pandemic continually escalating, and New York State facing restrictions on public gatherings that are likely to persist for an extended period of time, the College weighed the risks and was forced to postpone the ceremony. He added that alumni Reunions, which had originally been scheduled for the second weekend in June, were also postponed. “Please know that I would not make this decision without any other choice,” President Wippman told the seniors. “I made these decisions with the greatest reluctance. Commencement and Reunions help us celebrate who we are as a community and the values that unite us. They are part of an experience that begins when students arrive on College Hill to receive one of the finest liberal arts educations in the country, and that continues when as alumni they return again and again because of the enduring personal relationships they form here.”
The College and the Class of 2020 continue to explore how to best celebrate the graduating seniors in lieu of the original Commencement plans. In a statement to
The Spectator
, President Wippman said that he has formed a committee to review the options for moving forward with Commencement. “The committee includes a representative of the senior class, and we will, of course, consult with the class by survey and otherwise,” President Wippman said.
Lisa Magnarelli, Director of College Events & Scheduling, is in charge of managing and planning large public programs like Commencement. Magnarelli similarly told
The Spectator
that the College is committed to making sure the Class of 2020 can celebrate their achievements and is in continual discussion about how to move forward. The Senior Week student committee is soliciting suggestions from the senior class, and Magnarelli and her team are working on a formal survey. “We want to get feedback from seniors on what they’d like to see,” Magnarelli said.
Nadav Konforty ’20, Class of 2020 President and a member of the committee discussing virtual options, said in a statement to
The Spectator
: “I am very sad and disappointed that our senior year, especially senior week and Commencement, cannot proceed as planned. I do completely agree with decisions made by administrators and I know they have our best interests at heart. We will have an in-person commencement in the future, but the uncertainty of this time is still difficult.”
Unfortunately, the level of uncertainty attached to COVID-19 makes any kind of planning difficult. The alternative options depend largely on public health restrictions moving forward. “We’re holding off on sending the survey until we have a clearer picture of what’s happening in the world because we don’t want to say ‘let’s do it in the fall’ if New York state still can’t have events larger than 50 people. Then that’s not an option,” Magnarelli explained.
One thing Magnarelli could confirm with “relative certainty” was the College hosting some sort of virtual commemoration on May 24 in lieu of an in-person ceremony. A committee consisting of both students and administrators is discussing this possibility, and while no official decisions have been made, Magnarelli offered her own personal ideas. Though she acknowledged that the final decision may be very different, she envisions a pre-recorded ceremony that will go live on Commencement day — perhaps at the time that Commencement would’ve happened — and could include remarks from President Wippman, the Dean of Faculty, and the Commencement speaker. “We’re still finalizing to see if those are possibilities. There are a number of different virtual options,” Magnarelli said. “But I do not anticipate that it will be some massive Zoom call. I think it’ll be something people can watch on their own time.”
Magnarelli also acknowledged the difficulty in planning the official Commencement ceremony that will take place at some point in the future. When asked about whether or not that event will look different from traditional Commencement ceremonies, Magnarelli said: “I think there are a lot of factors that will influence that determination and unfortunately, I don’t know what the answer to that question is. All the activities we would’ve done that weekend could still happen, but the reality is that the Class of 2020 may be in a very different position [when Commencement takes place], with people starting jobs or school.” Thus, she added, the format of the eventual Commencement ceremony is also difficult to determine.
Magnarelli did emphasize that many are dedicated to making sure the Class of 2020 is properly celebrated. “I want to reassure readers of
The
Spectator
and the seniors that there are a lot of people thinking about this and a lot of people care very deeply about this and about the Class of 2020. We want to make sure whatever we decide is meaningful and worthy of their accomplishments. This is sad for all of us,” Magnarelli
Nadav Konforty ’20, Class of 2020 President and a member of the committee evaluating virtual options, shared in both Magnarelli’s sorrow and commitment. “I am very sad and disappointed that our senior year, especially senior week and Commencement, cannot proceed as planned. I do completely agree with decisions made by administrators and I know they have our best interests at heart. We will have an in person commencement in the future, but the uncertainty of this time is still difficult,” Konforty said in a statement to
The Spectator.
“As President of the class, I promise and assure my class that I am 110% committed to them, no matter what.”
Though Commencement plans have changed drastically, the Class of 2020 remains one that deserves to be celebrated. As the senior week student committee stated in their message to their peers: “What ultimately ends up happening will not be a typical celebration for a Hamilton graduating class. However, from the very beginning on the football field in August 2016, we were never a typical Hamilton class. Our class was never one to be conventional, and we will continue to be unique through to the finish line and beyond.”
