written by: Devin Burrow, managing editor
On Friday, April 17, graduates from the class of 2020 at Bryan College were informed via an email from the administration that they will opt to postpone graduation for October, while still live streaming it to all graduates and families on the original date of May 9.
The administration had to make a difficult decision based on the growing concern about health and safety in regards to COVID-19 and the country’s recommendation of gatherings of 10 people or less.
The announcement was made through a video uploaded to Vimeo, a video sharing site, that featured the president of Bryan College, Dr. Stephen Livesay, who seemed eager and excited to announce that the college would still host graduation virtually on May 9.
The college later answered many of the college students’ concerns by announcing that the college would seek to postpone the ceremony until October 3 when students could be celebrated in person. The college also announced that they would offer all 2020 graduates a 50 percent off the rate for tuition towards their master’s degree at Bryan.
The administration was in a terribly difficult situation and tried to make the best decision; however, some seniors feel as though the college was making the wrong choice.
“…When I first heard this announcement, I was very upset,” stated Taylor Killingsworth, a 2020 graduate. “I had a little hope for something good when they said ‘exciting news’. But when I was told it would be virtual, it hurt a lot.”
Some students shared that they understand the hard predicament and aren’t as concerned about a graduation ceremony as they are concerned about not being able to have the last few months of their college experience with friends and classes due to the stay-at-home order. But there is nothing that the college can do about that problem.
In the midst of all of this, many colleges are putting graduation on hold and aren’t even holding a celebration for their class of 2020, or at least are postponing to a later day in the summer when they hope the crisis will be over.
Devin Burrow is the managing editor for BryanTriangle.com. He is a senior communication major with an emphasis in digital media. Devin loves movies and cooking food for his friends and family.
