I am writing on behalf of the University of Tampa 2020 Spring Graduates. Those who have worked countless amounts of hours to get a degree that has the potential to be presented to them over an online live-feed. After learning that the rest of our senior year will be spent exchanging emails and staring into computer screens instead of walking into classrooms with fellow students that we've grown to love, the University has decided to announce in the same email that this milestone we have all been working towards has been canceled. We are not only missing out on graduation, a key moment in a student's academic career but countless amounts of activities such as formals, fundraisers, bonding events, shows, and other activities that are reserved specifically for seniors within their sororities, fraternities, and other organizations. Even though we can no longer have those...please hear us out and give us back the last event we have as a family. Whether that is at a later date and time, or if we can somehow bring it back to our current scheduled date if the virus dies down, we would greatly appreciate it. 

We have put so much hard work into earning these degrees it would be unfair to take this special moment away from all of us. There are international students, 1st generation college students, Florida natives, those who have traveled over 1,000 miles to be at this school, and those that have thousands of dollars in students loans...we deserve this day of celebration. We only hope that you are considering an alternative date further out in the year, should the scheduled date not be viable.  If so, it would certainly put us at ease if these plans could be shared with us as soon as possible. 

Thank you.