LONG-AWAITED ACCOLADES

WRITTEN BY SARAH NEESE, PHOTOS BY LAUREN BIERI, KT KING AND DANIEL SMITH

AFTER BOTH THE SPRING AND FALL 2020 commencement ceremonies were canceled, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many Central students missed out on their opportunity to walk across the stage. However, as vaccines were administered and the proverbial skies began to clear, the university announced its plans to host an in-person ceremony, one that looked different from any that had come before it.

In addition to spring and summer 2021 graduation candidates, Central invited spring, summer and fall 2020 to join the Class of 2021 in celebrating their achievements, side by side with their peers.

Spaced out according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, graduates sat on the field of Wantland Stadium, awaiting their turn to cross the stage in front of their family and friends in the stands. While masks were required, graduates were permitted to remove their masks once onstage, pausing for a photo, a wave and to flash a maskless smile. The stadium radiated energy and a renewed sense of hope, overflowing onto campus and touching those in attendance with a tangible buzz of excitement. Commencement often is marked by a sense of beginning rather than an end, and this year’s ceremonies held true, welcoming in not only a new season of life for Central graduates but symbolizing a new season of life for us all.