Novel Graduation

Ceremony moves online for first time in history

Whether America was battling the Kaiser’s Army, the Spanish flu or the Nazi regime, one thing could be counted on—South Dakota State would present its graduates front and center for public honors.

But as America battles a microscopic enemy in 2020, South Dakota State did not hold a public graduation for the first time in its nearly 140-year history. There was, however, a graduation—a virtual one—on the day and times planned back when only epidemiologists had a knowledge of coronavirus.

In an April 9 email to 2,661 graduating seniors and postbaccalaureate candidates, President Barry Dunn wrote, “We cannot imagine you beginning your postgraduation journey without a proper celebration. Therefore, on May 9, 2020, we will host three virtual commencement ceremonies.”

At 10 a.m. and 2 and 5 p.m. the university released prerecorded graduation ceremonies complete with everything except graduates.

There were student speakers; messages from Dunn, Alumni Association President and Chief Executive Officer Andi Fouberg and S.D. Board of Regents member Randy Schaefer; a keynote address from Mary Kay Helling, vice provost of Academic Affairs; a shortened processional (using file footage); a mock stage and the reading of graduate names by their college of graduation.

Students: Virtual best option available

“Overall, the reaction from students has been well received. We know that this is not the end that any of the graduates had envisioned. But given the circumstances, we feel this was an appropriate and needed honor to recognize their years of hard work at South Dakota State,” said Jamison Lamp, university events coordinator.

Seniors contacted for this article almost unanimously agreed with Lamp’s assessment.

Kirsten Weifenbach, a sport and recreation management major from Winona, Minnesota, said, “I think the virtual commencement is a great gesture for students to still participate in the commencement ceremony. This ceremony is a huge achievement and should be treated as so for everyone. I think that the virtual commencement shows how much State cares and is trying to react to the sudden landscape change for everyone.”

The downsides to a living room graduation are obvious: no high-fives from your classmates, no photos with your best friends, no postceremony dinner at your favorite restaurant.

But there are pluses: You can purchase an academic gown or wear your nightgown, there are no crowds to deal with and the ceremony is shorter. The ceremonies—two for undergraduates and one for graduates—took under two hours from Pomp and Circumstance to final recessional.

Virtual grad easier to stage

“Typically there is about 20 minutes of student and faculty processional and recessional time, and there are some other time-saving items simply because of the virtual environment,” Lamp said.

Producing “Virtual Commencement 2020” was a show in itself, but not as complicated as live TV, he said.

“Some things are easier, some things are significantly more challenging. In some ways, I have much more control over the outcome of the ceremonies as the number of people involved is so much smaller and by recording prior, we can edit and fix some things.

“However, executing and coordinating virtual graduation in less than a month and following social distancing and other CDC guidelines has been a unique challenge and heavy workload.

“On a normal commencement day, I am relying heavily on the execution of a great number of people—sound techs, readers, marshals, etc. and hope that everyone is following the script/stage directions, and that I haven’t forgotten something in those directions. I simply become a traffic director and crisis manager on the typical day.

“This will be the first virtual commencement in the history of South Dakota State University, and we are doing what we can to make it special for this class,” Lamp said after the April 21-30 speech recordings.

“Given what is happening in the world, there is something special to bring words of encouragement to our class,” said Allyson Monson, one of the graduation speakers and the 2018-19 and 2019-20 Students’ Association president.

She added a sentiment all have expressed: “It’s a peculiar time.”

December ceremony? TBD

SDSU administration has discussed, but not committed to, hosting a live ceremony in December for 2020 graduates. A universitywide winter graduation has not been held in years.

Weifenbach’s thoughts were typical of the students contacted: “By that time, I will hopefully be working my full-time job, and it (a ceremony) wouldn’t be as important to me as it would have been this May.”

In advance of commencement, some colleges hold their own recognitions, such as hooding for Pharm.D. graduates, pinning for nursing grads and the Order of Engineer presentation for those graduating from the college that bears the name of Jerome J. Lohr.

Bonus ceremonies also affected

Holly Jo Polak, of Sioux Falls, completed six years of training to be a pharmacist.

“The college has a separate hooding ceremony where the graduating class receives its doctoral hoods from pharmacy faculty members. We are currently in the process of planning a virtual ceremony for that. Honestly, the intimacy of that ceremony, with the classmates that I’ve spent the last four years with, along with my faculty members, is more important to me than the true commencement ceremony,” Polak said.

“I have earned my doctoral hood. I consider myself a sentimental person, and I absolutely wanted to have the hood because it is a sign of my degree and this will be the last degree I earn in my professional career,” she said.

Amber Alvey, who gave the student address for master’s and doctoral graduates, said, “I was really excited to deliver it virtually. Although we were not together, it’s still important
that we celebrated this occasion.”

– Dave Graves

Editor’s note: If you didn’t catch the ceremonies when they were first released, they are still available for viewing on the university’s website, www.sdstate.edu/graduation.