The-Laker-Issue-Fall-2021

Graduation times nine FLCC resumed holding commencement this year as pandemic restrictions were just beginning to ease. Rules at the time limited outdoor gatherings to no more than 200 people, making it necessary to have nine separate ceremonies with up to 45 students and three guests each over two days, May 21 and 22. To make the event more meaningful, FLCC grouped graduates by department, so students with similar degrees could graduate together and a member of that department’s faculty would call out their names. Students had the opportunity to walk on stage, pick up their diploma (health rules prevented College officials from handing them out and shaking hands) and pose for photos without wearing a mask. More than 300 students opted to participate, including about 65 from the class of 2020, whose commencement ceremony was an online tribute. The two sessions for nursing graduates were modified to feature the traditional pinning. Students were invited to bring a family member on stage to fasten the pin, a switch that had great meaning for some. Great weather and the excitement of being part of a large gathering – by COVID-19 standards – made for an upbeat mood. In a message to employees afterward, College President Robert Nye wrote, “I hope that, like me, you found it to be refreshing and reinvigorating to be in person and to connect with so many wonderful people – students, families, faculty and staff alike. Even while we had to remain masked for the most part, it sure beat all of the virtual communication we have experienced over the past year.” campus happenings “We became stronger, wiser, and more resilient, with a newfound skill set to help us continue to reach our goals and treat change as nothing less than a gift of opportunity.” — Erik DiPasquale ’21, Student Corporation president Erik DiPasquale ’21 of Hilton, the Student Corporation president, gave remarks at one of the nine ceremonies before participating in another as a graduate. photo by jan regan Lashanda O’Neil ’21, of Rochester, a nursing graduate, with her sons Sgt. Ty’shon Wofford and Trevor O’Neil, and Kelwin Brown photo by rikki van camp FLCC President Robert Nye chatted with families as they arrived for the ceremony in the Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center. photo by rikki van camp