Dear Bentley University, 

For the last four years, seniors have made of Bentley our home. We have built life long friendships with our classmates, collaborated with our peers to deliver high quality work and learn from our faculty to the best of our abilities. We would have not been able to achieve any of this without a Bentley education and we are certain that Bentley has assured us with a promising future and there is no doubt that many exciting things are awaiting for us. With that being said, we all ask, as the Class of 2020, to return for our hard work and dedication, the opportunity to stand along our peers one last time as we stood during our freshman year orientation and have our final goodbye to Bentley. Unfortunately, this final goodbye and our commencement ceremony is becoming more and more uncertain due to the decisions that are being made by other schools across the country. With all the pride and love with which we have represented Bentley over the last years, we find it extremely necessary to make sure the voice of the Bentley seniors is heard. 

We kindly ask that Bentley University chooses to postpone its 2020 commencement ceremonies and senior events - indefinitely if necessary - rather than choosing to cancel the events or hold them virtually. Every member of our community and Bentley alumni knows that commencement is the one moment every Bentley graduate looks forward to and it would be absolutely devastating for the class of 2020 to go without this experience not despite the circumstances of COVID-19, but because of them. COVID-19 already caused the last couple months we had together as a class to come to an abrupt end. The virus should not force us to go without a commencement and its accompanying activities as well.

Senior Week and graduation represent celebrating hard work, but also symbolize conquering any adversity students went through during their time at Bentley. It means being with your peers for the last time. It means standing in front of your family as the first college graduate. It means looking at your parents whom were able to pay your tuition through their indefatigable work and showing them that it has all paid off. It means seeing yourself in the same spot many have stood before you and knowing that you achieved a Bentley education despite all odds. These are all feelings that cannot be exchanged virtually and that cannot be recreated in the comfort of your home. 

We understand this is a difficult decision to make; however, we urge Bentley’s administration to consider its graduates who have called Bentley home for the past four years and to set a precedent for future Bentley Falcons that demonstrates the extent to which the university will go to support their students. Senior week is something freshmen look forward to for the entirety of their college experience. 

Whether the graduation takes place in the summer of 2020 or the fall of 2020 is irrelevant to us, we know this event is a monumental moment in our lives both for us and our families and therefore is worth the wait. Although we cannot control COVID-19 and its impact on our lives, we can, however, control our response to try and ensure there is not an even bigger piece missing from the story of the Class of 2020. 

We thank you for your consideration and hope to continue this conversation with you further.