The Voice
On Tuesday, Feb. 7, Seton Hall sent out an email in which details for the 2017 commencement ceremony were finally released.
It’s about time.
With graduation just a few months away, seniors finally know what time they will be walking. They know that they will walk in the fieldhouse. They know that they will receive four tickets for loved ones to watch in-person. They know that they will get another three tickets for a Walsh Gym viewing room that will show a simulcast of the events. And, of course, they know that they deserve so much better from their University.
The disappointment is nothing new. We all knew this year’s seniors were in for an unsatisfying end to their college careers when it was first announced that Prudential Center would not be the host. Still, the unpopular plan of having three separate ceremonies divided by schools and colleges, announced months ago, seemed like one SHU might scrap after the student body expressed its concerns.
Seton Hall didn’t, though, meaning some friends will not walk together and some families will have to sit through multiple ceremonies. Most won’t even be able to have their entire families attend. Some will have to decide who gets to watch in-person, who gets to watch in the viewing room and who gets to stay at home. Perhaps graduates can host a Hunger Games-type competition among their family and friends to decide who goes where.
But hey, thank Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton that graduation is still on that oh, so sacred Monday on May 15. We wouldn’t want to break tradition now, would we!
We would be remiss to not mention that people worked hard to address these issues, just as there are people working hard to make sure those May 15 festivities are extravagant. Still, as Interim Provost Dr. Karen Boroff acknowledged earlier in the week, the plan in place simply is not acceptable to many.
Instead of excitement, will-be graduates await the pinnacle of their college careers with anger and frustration.
It’s a real shame more couldn’t be done, Seton Hall. Your seniors certainly deserved it.
The Voice is intended to best represent the collective opinion of The Setonian’s Editorial Board. It is written by The Setonian’s Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor, both of whom are graduating seniors.
