Some graduates-to-be said they feel grateful to have this one last memory as undergrad Buckeyes, but others stressed it will not diminish the difficulties and loss the pandemic brought their senior year. Credit: Sophia Tobias | For the Lantern
Graduating Ohio State students may not have been able to watch the Buckeyes play in Ohio Stadium this year — but they will be able sit in the ’Shoe to cap off their time at the university at the May 9 commencement.
Some graduates-to-be said they feel grateful to have this one last memory as undergrad Buckeyes, but others stressed it will not diminish the difficulties and loss the pandemic brought their senior year.
Shelly Douglas, a fourth-year in environmental policy and decision making, said she didn’t expect commencement to be in person but is glad her parents can sit and experience it with her. She feels the ceremony is for the parents as much as it is for the students.
“This is really an opportunity for our parents to see us in our element,” Douglas said. “They get to see us be acknowledged for our hard work, and I think that’s really special, especially for parents who have been there for their child as they go through school and supported them. It might feel like a little like an accomplishment for them, too.”
Douglas said her parents don’t get to interact with her college friends, so when they come for commencement, she and her roommates plan to go to dinner with their families and show them around campus. She said showing them the important places of her day-to-day life will help them see how much she’s grown during her time at Ohio State.
Since she didn’t get to spend much time on campus this past year, Douglas said she is also excited to take pictures in front of University Hall and on the Oval with her friends to commemorate the places where her college experience started.
Jordan Shapiro, a fourth-year in actuarial science, said this year was not what he expected. With most events held online and limited attendance at in-person gatherings, he had a hard time interacting with other students and attending activities for Ohio State University Hillel and the Schottenstein Chabad House — the student organizations he’s a part of.
Shapiro said it’s bittersweet to graduate because he got the most out of college he could and will have to change the lifestyle he’s had for the past four years. He said he’s happy his parents can attend the ceremony because many other universities are not having in-person ceremonies.
“Although it’s not what it usually is, this is something to look forward to just kind of end the year on a high note because so much of it’s been affected negatively,” Shapiro said.
Katie Friedman, a fourth-year in social work, said having an in-person commencement doesn’t make up for all the things she missed her senior year due to the pandemic.
“I missed out on football games, I missed out on basketball games, none of my organizations were allowed to meet in person, so I kind of spent the year through a screen,” Friedman said. “I missed just as many super special moments and had to do it over a screen.”
However, Friedman — whose grandparents attended Ohio State — said sharing the ceremony in the ’Shoe with her family will still be a special moment, as the stadium represents the Buckeye spirit that brought her to the university in the first place.
The first commencement will take place at 11 a.m. and the second at 3 p.m. May 9 at Ohio Stadium.
