Covid-19 Can’t Take Our Commencement

Reported by Kylie Bean

Photography by George Fox University

So much has changed. So much is still changing--perhaps forever. The world-wide effort to stop the spread of Covid-19 through social distancing and self-isolation has emptied school campuses, cancelled sport events, shut down businesses, and the Class of 2020 was not going to experience a graduation ceremony.

In the midst of all of this change, it is important to recognize that there are certain time-held traditions that are worth holding on to, one of which is graduation.

Graduating from college is a major accomplishment in a student’s life, and deserving of a ceremony to acknowledge that achievement. But what's the point if you can't celebrate that achievement with the very people who helped you to succeed?

During this time of cataclysmic political, social, and corporate upheaval, a graduation ceremony might seem trivial. After all, there is a global pandemic going on! However, graduating from college is a major accomplishment in a student’s life, and deserving of a ceremony to acknowledge that achievement. 

This is the very reason that George Fox students have banded together in an attempt to give George Fox’s Class of 2020 a commencement ceremony. The online petition received 1,008 signatures, which is nearly half of the total undergraduate population, before students and families received the news that the university would be holding an in-person commencement when it is safe to do so. 

The announcement was posted on the George Fox Instagram with the following statement: “We can assure you that George Fox WILL hold an in-person commencement event at some point in the future for our undergraduate students and any graduate students who wish to take part. While we don’t yet know how soon that will be, we are committed to celebrating your accomplishments and this very important tradition.”

During this challenging time filled with uncertainty and confusion, students are finding comfort in knowing that this treasured event will be taking place.