We are living through uncertain times as a community due to the spread of COVID-19. While it's understandable that many events have to be canceled for the safety of the public, the class of 2020's commencement ceremony shouldn't have to be canceled - it should be rescheduled.

Commencement is such an important milestone in students' lives. For me and thousands of other UNC Wilmington students, we have been looking forward to this ceremony since we first started college. Commencement is a physical marker of the success you've made as a student. It tells you that all those nights you spent pent up in the library, going to your professors' office hours for extra help, studying with classmates, all of that mattered and led up to this moment of graduation.

Not everyone wants to walk during graduation, but many of us do. It should be an option. Commencement should simply be postponed, but not canceled. The class of 2020 worked hard to earn their degrees, and they should be able to celebrate like the rest of the classes before them.

To the university administration - I urge you to consider rescheduling commencement. It is an important milestone in many of our lives. COVID-19 has already taken so much away from us. Don't let it take this away from us, too.