Please Share & Comment why you signed!

I am a senior at Morgan State University, social work major. I am expressing great concern in regards to our Spring 2020 Graduation Commencement.

We would like to be given another option rather than cancelling our graduation ceremony.

For many of us, this commencement means more than a simple ceremony for all the work we’ve done to get here. This commencement is a reward for all that we endured in the classroom as well as personal challenges that were blocking stones in our success. This commencement is a lifetime memory. I believe that many many seniors at Morgan State University strongly feel this way.

This journey has not been easy, not even a little bit. We cried real tears trying to get these assignments in by the due date and we struggled financially to pay for textbooks and school supplies. Students took huge sacrifices with quitting their jobs to solely focus on their education to ensure they finish their senior year strong. We deserve this commencement because we only get this specific experience once.

Students have taken out thousands of dollars in loans just to make ends meet at Morgan State University. Our trust was placed in the hands of this university and if our commencement is cancelled then it will change everything. Many of us have already started planning for family members to attend. Plane tickets have been purchased. Many of us have already been accepted into Master’s Programs. Employment contracts have been signed. Many of us have already made plans to relocate to different states after graduating. Many of us have started planning graduation parties and rented halls for these parties (Rental Halls are $700+). Many of us do not reside in Maryland and our hometowns are in a variety of places across the the globe.

We are advocating for ourselves!

We understand that the Coronavirus is a pandemic and researchers are still developing information about it. We recognize that this is a difficult decision and that there are layers of concerns addressing this issue. We understand the sensitivity of the issue and we simply ask to consider ALL of the options before making a hasty decision to cancel commencement. This is suppose to be a memorable time for us all.

The fact is that there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Morgan State University. We as a University can come up with creative ways or ideas to ensure our Commencement is not cancelled. There is ALWAYS a way!

If you have any creative ideas on how Commencement can take place without exposure to COVID-19 please share your ideas!

Note: I am NOT encouraging a physical in-person commencement in May if COVID-19 is out of control resulting in fatalities. However, we could consider other options such as postponement to a later date. We do not want the Graduation cancelled.