LYNN — High school seniors will get a chance to “cross the stage” to receive their diplomas this summer after all.
Superintendent Dr. Patrick Tutwiler announced last week that the school district will hold a “Cross the Stage” outdoor graduation ceremony at Manning Field on Aug. 1.
Last month, Tutwiler said the school district was planning to hold virtual graduation ceremonies due to the coronavirus on June 12, followed by a potential in-person ceremony during Thanksgiving break.
When the plan was announced, many high school seniors were disappointed about losing the opportunity to celebrate the accomplishment with their families. The loss was especially felt by students who will be the first members of their families to graduate.
One of those disappointed seniors was Jennifer Cartagena, a Lynn Tech student who contacted Tutwiler to inquire about whether the school district would consider a physical graduation ceremony, where seniors could walk across the stage to receive their diploma, which would allow for a photo opportunity with their families.
“A lot of my friends would complain about it but we felt like we couldn’t do anything about it,” said Cartagena, 18. “We were just sad. (For) a lot of my friends, this will probably be the only celebration — especially at a vocational school, a lot of us won’t go to college. We felt like it was our only chance to cross the stage.”
Cartagena wrote to Tutwiler on May 6 and heard back from him a day later. She said the superintendent replied that he understood where the students were coming from and that would look into it and get back to her a week later.
To let Tutwiler know that other students were disappointed as well, Cartagena started a change.org petition on May 11, which urged Tutwiler to consider letting seniors have a physical graduation. The petition has garnered nearly 400 signatures.
A week later, on May 19, Tutwiler sent a letter to students and families informing them that the school district was proceeding with its plans for virtual graduations on June 12, but would also hold an outdoor physical ceremony on Aug. 1.
“I feel like walking in the Manning Field, that was a perfect solution for those who do want to walk on the stage and I am one of those students,” said Cartagena. “For me, neither of my parents even graduated high school. My sister graduated about four years ago.
“I remembered my mom’s excitement because it’s a celebration. For me to not have that moment, to share that special moment, I didn’t want to miss out on something that meant so much to my family.”
While Tutwiler said he values student voice and feedback, he explained that the petition, which was among several that had been circulating, was not the main driving factor behind the district’s decision to hold a physical ceremony,
It came down to a matter of whether the school district would be able to safely do so, he said.
“This is a health concern here,” Tutwiler said. “I don’t want anyone to think that a petition is going to drive decisions around safety. In the letter that I sent to the seniors (last) week, it makes clear that this is something that’s been on our minds and that we’ve been thinking about for weeks. For some time, this is something we’ve been thinking about and putting feelers out about how or if it can happen.”
Shortly after Tutwiler began to look into the request from Cartagena, which included additional conversations with high school principals and the city’s Board of Health, he said the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released updated guidance that allowed for outdoor graduation ceremonies with restrictions after July 18.
“For those who have had the privilege of walking across the stage in celebration of years of hard work and sacrifice, they know the thrill,” said Tutwiler. “That is something that I, along with the building principals, district administration and even their teachers really want to provide (for) students, especially for the students who would be a first in their family.
“The student who reached out to us expressed the same sentiment. In that, our feelings are aligned and I’m just thrilled we have the beginnings of a plan to do that.”
Although the state has cleared outdoor graduations, school districts have been instructed to adhere to severe restrictions.
For example, outdoor ceremonies are limited to graduates and their immediate family members, non-family members must sit at least six feet apart, all attendees must wear face masks, and the graduations must be held in an unconfined outdoor space that can accommodate social distancing and the flow of air, according to the DESE memo.
Anyone who is feeling sick, exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, or those who may have been exposed to the virus, are asked not to attend. Others told to stay home include parents who are vulnerable to severe COVID-19 illness because of their advanced age or an underlying condition, according to the DESE memo.
“It’s our intention to follow the guidance to the letter,” said Tutwiler. “I think everybody knows that this is not going to be a traditional ceremony in terms of (bringing) your whole family and friends. There’s a likelihood that five weeks from now there will be additional guidance. We’ll follow that also. This is part of the world in which we live now and for the foreseeable future.”
Student petitions may not have been the driving force behind the change in graduation plans, but Tutwiler said embracing student voice and feedback is important to him.
“I don’t want to give the impression that if you petition for it, it will happen,” said Tutwiler. “That said, any time our students exercise their agency around something they want or something they believe in, I think that in of itself is cause for celebration. I want students to feel they have a voice, that it will be listened to and respected.”
Cartagena added: “Oftentimes, young adults are told we cannot change things and most of my peers stayed quiet after being informed (about) this, but I believe that this story will inspire fellow young adults to be involved.
“I wish to inspire other people from the North Shore to speak up when something does not seem right,” she said.
