Binghamton University’s 2022 Commencement ceremony is currently planned to be an event without required masking, COVID-19 testing or vaccination for graduates and guests.
As COVID-19 cases began to decrease in Broome County, Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger had announced in a March 29 Student Association (SA) meeting that Commencement will be without a mask, vaccination or testing requirement. According to Sarah Koral, director of special events and Commencement, the changes made to this year’s Commencement allow the ceremony to return to what it looked like pre-COVID-19.
University staff plans to address safety concerns and risks that these changes may pose to those in attendance. According to Koral, other safety precautions are being taken to lessen the spread of COVID-19 at the event.
“We will encourage people who are not feeling well to avoid attending,” Koral wrote in an email. “We will encourage those who don’t feel comfortable in large crowds to continue to wear masks. There will be hand sanitizer available. We will not be shaking hands as students walk across the stage. The Events Center has quality air handling systems that allow for the exchange of fresh air.”
BU has also addressed the possible impact that the changes to the Commencement ceremony will have on participants’ plans to attend. For those that are concerned with the potential risk of exposure that could occur at the ceremony, the University is utilizing alternative viewing platforms, according to Koral.
“All ceremonies will be livestreamed on our [BU] YouTube channel if anyone is uncomfortable attending in person,” Koral wrote. “Most others have expressed gratitude and excitement that we are getting back to normal.”
Many graduating students expressed gratitude toward having another non-masked experience on campus, as other events and milestones have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sari Zimmerman, a senior majoring in physics, whose years at BU coincided with the pandemic, shared her excitement toward the lift of the mask requirement at the event.
“I would love to see no masks and smiling faces,” Zimmerman wrote. ”I have been at [BU] for three years and my entire experience has been masks.”
Another graduating student, Nick Casabianca, a graduate student in the business administration program, said the University’s decision to not require masks or testing alleviates stress surrounding the event.
“I would definitely say lifting the mask mandate has made it a lot easier to plan for graduation because it takes a lot of factors out that students need to worry about,” Casabianca wrote. “I currently come from a family of four so making sure everyone got a [COVID-19] test and had a mask for the ceremony would have been a huge hassle to add into the equation. Allowing everyone to just simply come without having to worry about testing/masks really just makes it so much easier on the students.”
While some students have positive sentiments toward the changes at the ceremony, other students expressed concern toward the risk of contracting COVID-19 from the event. Veronica Levin, a senior majoring in integrative neuroscience, said she is conflicted regarding the lift of the mask mandate, due to potential health effects that may occur as a result.
“I have mixed feelings about the mask mandate — partly as a graduating senior and partly as a part of various organizations on campus who have seen a rise in [COVID-19] cases since the lift,” Levin wrote. “Regarding graduation, I am happy I’ll be able to walk across the stage without a mask and be able to look back on those pictures of my full face. I did kind of wish we required [COVID-19] testing for Commencement, although I know how busy and hectic it was for [COVID-19] testing site last year so as long as COVID-19 doesn’t get worse, I guess it’s not that big of an issue for me.”
Recently, COVID-19 cases have recently begun to rise on campus and in Broome County. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Broome County is now assessed as having a high COVID-19 community level. According to the SUNY COVID-19 Case Tracker, cases on campus have also been rising, with a rolling 14-day positivity rate of 3.24 percent as of April 20.
Going forward, the University is taking into account possible alterations that can be made to the event in response to COVID-19 rates in the area and changing guidance from health officials, according to Koral.
“One thing we have learned through [COVID-19] is that we can’t anticipate anything specific, but we must remain flexible with the changing requirements,” Koral wrote. “We’re prepared to deal with anything that may change between now and Commencement.”
With Commencement nearing, some students and staff expressed anticipation surrounding the event. Koral expressed enthusiasm about the event’s updated COVID-19 requirements, and the event’s meaning for graduates.
“We are very excited to get back to a somewhat normal schedule of ceremonies,” Koral wrote. “This is an exciting time for graduates and their families and we look forward to celebrating all of our graduates’ accomplishments during Commencement weekend.”