Fall 2021 Graduates are not getting a Commencement Ceremony and will have to return in the Spring. Some students don’t have the luxury of time and resources to return to walk the stage. All the hard work and effort we put into the university seems to go unnoticed without this ceremony. Before COVID-19 we had a Commencement Ceremony every semester which was then halted because of COVID. Now we have started to have big events with people outside of just the students as well so I do not see why having a Commencement Ceremony this semester is an issue. We had the Variety Show with a lot of attendance. We have also had a lot of admission events with a lot of attendance from the outside community and prospective students, and their family. It looks like when it comes to the benefit of the university, WIU is quick to act and want to bring things back, but when it is to celebrate their students, we need to push so hard to be acknowledged. 

The Fall 2021 Graduates deserve to have a Commencement Ceremony that they are not forced to sacrifice potential money and time to walk the stage. I know I personally felt invisible when I learned we were not going to have a Commencement Ceremony this semester. I personally have to work a lot once I am out and I don’t even know if I would be able to return because of familial situations.