College Moves Up Commencement Date for Class of 2021, Announces In-Person Ceremony
(Photo courtesy of Gettysburg College)
By Anna Cincotta, Editor-in-Chief
On Wednesday afternoon, President Bob Iuliano announced that the college will host an in-person commencement ceremony for this year’s senior class on the morning of Monday, May 17 at Musselman Stadium. All members of the Class of 2021 — including those in the remote cohort — will be invited to attend, and each student will be permitted to invite two guests to the on-campus event.
While the formal announcement of an in-person ceremony is a welcome update for many students, the news that commencement will now be held on May 17 came as a surprise to members of the campus community. Prior to the most recent announcement on March 24, the college’s academic calendar indicated that the Class of 2021’s commencement ceremony was scheduled for May 23. According to Iuliano, the decision to move back the date was made to “enable seniors already in residence to transition directly from final exams to commencement.”
Despite the health concerns associated with giving seniors an extra week between finals and commencement amid the pandemic, this schedule change complicates the picture for students — and especially those with family members who must travel by plane in order to attend the May ceremony.
Chris Jack ‘21, an international student from Luxembourg, found Wednesday’s announcement especially upsetting. His parents are both teachers who had used the initial May 23 commencement date when planning their flights and vacation days. Wednesday’s news leaves them in an “impossible” situation when it comes to rescheduling their flights, Jack said.
“[They] will now no longer be able to attend graduation,” he added. “The dream of my parents seeing me graduate has now been crushed, and I know I am not the only senior who feels this way.”
Abby Hauer ‘21 explained that she wishes the college had gone with the May 17 date from the beginning.
“Because of this relatively late change, families must change hotel reservations, flight bookings, and even have to take off work. Many headaches could have been avoided if the administration selected [May 17] at the get-go,” she said.
Still, others expressed excitement about the ceremony. Julianna Pestretto ‘21 is looking forward to the in-person event with her classmates, but also thinks that “it’s really important to continue the tradition of processing through Penn Hall.”
This recent announcement from the college comes after a commencement update on March 11 that informed members of the campus community about the engagement of senior class leaders in the planning process and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s move earlier this month to raise the maximum occupancy limit to 50 percent beginning on April 4. Iuliano cited guidance from both senior leaders and the state government in his message to the campus community.
“I am so delighted that we will join together for this one-of-a-kind, in-person Commencement ceremony on May 17,” he wrote. “I know our entire Gettysburg College community is looking forward to honoring you with the pomp and circumstance that you and your classmates so rightly deserve.”
