“Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.” Proverbs 3:27
BJA Graduation 2020 will undoubtedly be the most unique ceremony ever performed in its history! We have consulted officials in our state and local governments as well as those here on our University campus, including Public Safety. Additionally, we are committed to adhere to the national guidelines recommended for safe, effective social distancing. With these directives in mind, we will be offering a graduation ceremony/celebration that we call a “Drive Through Celebration.”
Our desire is to honor our graduates in a most appropriate way, considering the current pandemic situation. We also want to retain some of the traditional “must haves” in a graduation ceremony: caps, gowns, and tassels, receiving diplomas, recognition of achievement, printed program, and families being able to witness this once-in-a-lifetime milestone! Here’s how it will work:
Graduates and their families (one vehicle per graduate, graduate not driving), will enter a “parade of graduates” organized upon arrival. There will be some “festivities” along the route, but we’ll save those details for later!
After some opening words, the parade of graduates will include each graduate stepping out of the vehicle to receive the hard-earned diploma and getting an official photo in graduation regalia. Stay tuned for details. The ceremony and parade of graduates will be livestreamed to all who will not be able to attend in-person. We regret that we cannot accommodate more than one vehicle per graduate in the parade route or on campus.
We plan to create a full video of graduation that includes not only the livestreamed footage but also what we’d been planning for our “normal” graduation: senior testimonies, Valedictorian and Salutatorian addresses, and more.
And . . . yes, we ARE planning a follow-up celebration for the Class of 2020! We hope you will mark Saturday, August 1, 2020, as the day we will be able to celebrate together! More details to follow in the coming months.
We will be communicating more specifics to you as your graduation day approaches. Be safe!
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