This spring, many high school and college seniors in the Mid-South were looking forward to dressing up for prom and graduation. Instead, they’re sitting in sweatpants at home and doing schoolwork online.
While many schools would be holding graduations with hundreds of students and parents in attendance during the month of May, now many schools have chosen to postpone their formal ceremonies or even use an online format.CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW KWAM – THE MIGHTY 990 ON FACEBOOK!
In Arkansas, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced that there will be no high school graduations in the state at least until July 1.
Cassidy Calcutt, a senior civil engineering major at the University of Memphis, is one of the hundreds of seniors that will be attending a virtual graduation on May 9 through YouTube.
“The worst part is not getting to celebrate with my friends and classmates,” she said.While the University of Memphis hopes to have an in-person ceremony later, no formal plans have been announced. Graduation caps were mailed, while gowns and honor cords have yet to be delivered to Memphis seniors.
Bartlett High School is offering one of the more immediate solutions. They will be hosting a two-day graduation ceremony on May 13 and 14. Each student can bring up to five guests, social distancing rules will be in place and it will be live-streamed.
Lausanne Collegiate School senior Avery Broughton has felt the negative effects of this pandemic that all other seniors are experiencing. She spoke with Robyn Walensky this week on “Wake Up Memphis.”“I find the situation to be very devastating,” Broughton added.
Broughton said she has been keeping close contact with her teachers and friends. Also, the high school senior said she has been able to spend quality time with her family before heading off to college.
She had the rest of her senior year planned out in March, but the pandemic blindsided everyone and even cancelled their prom that was scheduled for the first week of April.
“It almost seems like it just happened overnight,” she said.
