By The Griffin Editorial Board
Four years ago, we lost our prom, the spring of our high school senior year … and our graduation.
We are the class that started our college experience online from our bedrooms or our socially isolated dorms. But we persevered and after a year and a half we arrived in masks on a socially distanced campus.
We experienced the Chestnut Hill College campus for the first time and tried to make friends in a time where everyone was still supposed to be kept apart.
Now, the pandemic seems as a murky nightmare that has drifted into a distant past, yet one defining feature has reappeared for one of the most important days of our lives: CHC’s 2024 commencement will take place in Sorgenti Arena instead of the Chestnut Hill tradition of graduating under the tent.
In a time of no social distancing, families are limited to two tickets. That’s if you are a part of the fortunate few who will get them with the new first-come first-served ticket rule.
As a class, we have accepted the OMC school to our campus with open arms while sacrificing the most prestigious classrooms and area of our entire school. Now, it’s our graduation that is being cut short.
Chestnut Hill College prides itself on their international students who made the journey and sacrifice to attend a university in a foreign country for four years. But under the new rules these students’ families may not even be able to see them graduate.
All of our families have made tremendous financial sacrifices to get to Chestnut Hill College, let alone pay for four years tuition.
We have earned the right to the graduation we were promised as incoming freshman and transfer students.
The class of 2024 has been through and given up enough, we are calling on the administration, school officials, and faculty to save our graduation. Join us in calling for action by singing an online petition.
