Colleges Return to In-Person Graduations for Class of 2021

One year ago, the campuses² of American colleges and universities were empty. Most students were sent home in March and did not return for months.

The new coronavirus forced schools to teach using the internet and video call. But it was not just teaching³ that changed. The graduation ceremony, or commencement, changed, too. Students who had spent four years taking classes together watched the ceremony on their computers from home.

There was no throwing of hats in the air to celebrate the completion of four years of study. There were no group photos or shared tears while saying goodbye to friends and professors.

In a normal graduation ceremony, students get their diploma and a handshake from a university leader. In 2020, they saw their name and perhaps their photo on a computer screen. It was not what they expected when they started school four years earlier.

Getting back to normal

At the beginning of 2021, most U.S. universities were going to have a video and computer-based graduation. But as more people started to get the COVID-19 vaccine⁴, and the number of new virus cases dropped during the spring, they decided⁵ to change their plans.

At the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, Sam Kelly and Kelly Schanes went to their university's graduation on May 4.

The guest speaker, via video, was Rebecca Skloot, a science writer and a University of Pittsburgh graduate. Her book, The Immortal⁶ Life of Henrietta Lacks, was about a vaccine that helped the world overcome illness. It told the story of a Black woman whose cells were used to create a vaccine for polio. Lacks died without getting credit⁷ for her gift to science.

Schanes said the event, while different, was a lot better in person.

"It was very exciting and it did definitely⁸ make it feel more concrete...We got to dress up in our cap and gowns⁹, and like, take pictures with all of our friends and stuff¹⁰, so it was definitely better than the 2020 experience, I think."

Kelly played in the school's marching band for four years. He was happy to be able to attend the graduation ceremony this year. However, he regrets missing¹¹ one tradition in his last year of school.

The university is known as "Pitt." So, at the last football game, the members of the band traditionally form the letters P-I-T-T on the football field. All of the members, except those about to graduate, who are called "seniors," leave the field. Those remaining receive cheers from everyone in the stands.

Kelly hopes that maybe one day he will get a chance to re-live the tradition.

"Obviously¹² not everybody is involved in a student organization where they have the opportunity to get some sense of closure, but in my instance¹³, it will be nice to come back in the fall and get that."

Across town from Pitt is Carnegie Mellon University. The university is known for math, computer science, engineering¹⁴ and robotics.

On May 14, students wearing their graduation clothing walked the sunny campus¹ and took pictures with friends. Others worked to teach a robot how to study trees. Some were playing a ball game.

Even though they had finished their work for the year, they were still in Pittsburgh because the university's graduation was one week away on May 22 and 23.

Cindy Crimmins is a vice¹⁵ president at Carnegie Mellon. She said the school is doing its best to keep the ceremony as close to normal as possible.

"We feel really good about it, we feel like giving the students an in-person experience, even if they can't have guests, is the right thing to do for them."

Benjamin Ash, from Atlanta, Georgia, was enjoying the warm weather with friends. He said, "You really only get the chance to graduate from college once." That is why he and his friends were waiting for the ceremony instead of going home.

"I think we're just excited to have the opportunity to do it this year."

Across the country

Across the U.S., many colleges were working to give the same opportunity to their students.

On May 14, Boston University's students sat apart from each other and wore face coverings. But they were together for graduation. They listened to Ayanna Pressley, the first Black woman to represent Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress¹⁶. She talked about the lessons she learned¹⁷ from civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and others. She told the students they need to "imagine a better world, and then work for it."

Noubar Afeyan is one of the co-founders of Moderna, the company that created one of the successful COVID-19 vaccines¹⁸. He told the Boston University advanced graduates that they were "pioneers" because of the way they had to find a new way to learn.

At the University of North Carolina, not all of the speakers were there in person. Dr. Anthony Fauci talked to the students by video. He told them to be ready for a difficult future with the changes brought on by the pandemic. But he said their ability to succeed in school gave him confidence that they will "thrive¹⁹."

Crimmins, the Carnegie Mellon vice president, said it is important for students to get that feeling of completion and satisfaction after four years of hard work. As a result, the university promised the graduates from this year, and last year, that they will be able to come back to the 2022 graduation for the full experience.

"We don't have it all worked out yet, but it will be a full commencement," Crimmins said.

Words in This Story

campus – n. the area and buildings around a university, college, school, etc.

graduation –n. the act of receiving a diploma or degree from a school, college, or university : the act of graduating

diploma -n. a document which shows that a person has graduated from a school

immortal–adj. living forever

concrete –adj. a way to describe something that feels real and specific

stuff–adj. used in speech to refer to things that are similar to the thing just mentioned

marching band–n. a group of musicians who play instruments while marching together at a parade or sports event

closure –n. a feeling that something has been completed or that a problem has been solved

pioneer –n. a person who helps create or develop new ideas, methods, etc.

thrive – v. to grow or develop successfully : to flourish²⁰ or succeed

satisfaction –v. a happy or pleased feeling because of something that you did or something that happened to you

1 campus   

n.大学校园，学校校园；大学　

参考例句：

• They spoke of the old days on the campus.他们谈起昔日的校园生活。
• The campus covers an area of twenty square kilometres.这个校园占地二十平方公里。

2 campuses   

n.（大学）校园（campus的复数形式）

参考例句：

• University campuses are often the bellwether of change. 大学校园往往引领变革的新潮。
• Sport looms much larger on US campuses than in China. 体育在美国大学比中国大学突出得多。 来自互联网

3 teaching   

n.教学，执教，任教，讲授；(复数)教诲

参考例句：

• We all agree in adopting the new teaching method. 我们一致同意采取新的教学方法。
• He created a new system of teaching foreign languages.他创造了一种新的外语教学体系。

4 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 immortal   

adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的

参考例句：

• The wild cocoa tree is effectively immortal.野生可可树实际上是不会死的。
• The heroes of the people are immortal!人民英雄永垂不朽！

7 credit   

n.信用，荣誉，贷款，学分；v.归功于，赞颂，信任

参考例句：

• I credit him with a certain amount of sense.我认为他有一定的见识。
• He got the credit,and we did the dirty work.他得荣誉，我们做不讨好的工作。

8 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

9 gowns   

n.（法官、英国律师、大学学生在特别仪式上穿的）长袍( gown的名词复数 )；女长服；（尤指在医院穿的）罩衣；宽松长外衣

参考例句：

• The guests turned up dressed in sumptuous evening gowns. 客人们身着华丽的夜礼服出现了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• "Did you see those two men in black gowns? “看见么？那两个穿黑大衫的。 来自子夜部分

10 stuff   

n.原料，材料，东西；vt.填满；吃饱

参考例句：

• We could supply you with the stuff in the raw tomorrow.明天我们可以供应你原材料。
• He is not the stuff.他不是这个材料。

11 missing   

adj.遗失的，缺少的，失踪的

参考例句：

• Check the tools and see if anything is missing.检点一下工具，看有无丢失。
• All the others are here;he's the only one missing.别人都来了，就短他一个。

12 obviously   

adv.显然；明白地

参考例句：

• Obviously they were putting him to a severe test.显然他们是在给他以严峻的考验。
• Obviously he was lying.显然他是在撒谎。

13 instance   

n.例，例证，实例

参考例句：

• Can you quote me a recent instance?你能给我举一个最近的例子吗？
• He's a greedy boy,yesterday,for instance,he ate all our biscuits!他是个贪吃的孩子――比如，他昨天把我们的饼干都吃了！

14 engineering   

n.工程，工程学，管理，操纵

参考例句：

• The science of engineering began as soon as man learned to use tools. 人类一学会使用工具,工程科学就开始了。
• It was the first great engineering works in the world. 这是世界上第一家大型的工程工厂。

15 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

16 Congress   

n.(代表)大会；(C-:美国等国的)国会，议会

参考例句：

• There were some days to wait before the Congress.大会的召开还有几天时间。
• After 18 years in Congress,he intented to return to private life.在国会供职18年后，他打算告老还乡。

17 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

18 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

19 thrive   

v.兴旺，繁荣，茁壮成长

参考例句：

• These animals thrive on the leaves of certain trees.这些动物靠吃某些树的叶子长壮。
• This flowering plant will thrive and bloom wherever you plant it.这种花随便你种在哪儿都能活。

20 flourish   

vi.茂盛，繁荣，兴旺；vt.挥动(以引起注意)

参考例句：

• When the root is firm,the branches flourish.本固枝荣。
• She rode by with a flourish of her whip.她骑马挥鞭而过。