As high school seniors across Minnesota approach graduation time, they’re faced with an unfortunate reality that the traditional graduation ceremony either isn’t happening this year or not happening on the originally scheduled date.
Crookston High School, which will graduate between 75 to 80 seniors, is taking a two-fold approach. On Friday (May 22), seniors will be able to 
come by the high school dressed in cap and gown, have their picture taken and pick up their yearbooks between 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. The school is also asking all seniors to record themselves moving their tassels from right to left and then send the video to the school before Friday to be used for a virtual ceremony. Principal Eric Bubna is hopeful that the photo opportunity for the Crookston seniors will provide some positivity during a difficult time.
“We’ve arranged for a professional photographer to come in and take professional photos of the graduates,” Bubna said. “It does two things – we want to gift them with something as best we can. If you’re a senior this year, this isn’t the way you want to be ending. It’s also our backup plan if we do end up having to do a virtual graduation ceremony in July, which we’re hoping we don’t. Then, we’d have those pictures in place and use those for the virtual ceremony. But again, our hope is to be able to a face-to-face ceremony on July 25.”
Governor Tim Walz and the department of education banned in-person graduation ceremonies for all high schools and colleges in Minnesota. It’s still unclear as to when those guidelines may be lifted. If they aren’t lifted by late July, Bubna said Crookston has a plan already in place.
“If we still had to do social distancing on July 25, we’ve worked out a deal that if we were doing a ceremony on May 22, we’d go out to the arena because there is a lot more space out there,” Bubna said. “We’d have to limit the number of guests per graduate, and have them six feet apart, and maybe require masks. Obviously, what we’re hoping for is a normal ceremony in the gym like we always do.”
Bubna said the students’ reaction to COVID-19 and distance learning has been mixed, but overall, he says the senior class at Crookston has handled these unusual circumstances quite well.
“The vast majority of kids are handling it well, but miss school and would like to get back,” Bubna admitted. “Even the ones who would hate to admit that they love coming here. It’s not the same experience. It’s gone better than expected, but I think the students would say, ‘Hey, this has got its challenges. We’re hoping we’re not doing this exact thing in the fall.”
Like Crookston, other high schools are also hoping for an in-person ceremony in late summer. Fisher School, for example, has a ceremony tentatively set for Sunday, August 2.
