Senior Graduation: PDS Decides on a New Way to Honor the Class of 2020

%28Photo%2FMD+Duran%2FUnsplash%29

(Photo/MD Duran/Unsplash)

Hector Capeilleres, Staff Writer

As the school year comes to a close, many people are asking: how will the graduating seniors be honored for their time spent at Princeton Day School? Many institutions, such as the University of Pennsylvania, are holding online ceremonies, while others, like Yale University, have canceled them altogether. Many high schools have held live-streamed graduations, during which their deans and other faculty members virtually presented the graduating classes with their degrees. 

Princeton Day School will be recognizing the Senior class and their time spent at PDS with a video. The video will consist of speeches given by the Senior class dean, multiple students, and Head of Upper School Trixie Sabundayo, along with music and excerpts honoring every senior. 

The group making the video, lead by US Theater Director, Stan Cahill, consists of over thirty people working on Senior graduation, eighth-grade graduation, fifth-grade graduation, and other events that had to be postponed due to COVID-19. They have brought in a professional company to edit the video and film the speeches. Mr. Cahill, when describing the most important part of the graduation, stated that “We want [graduation]  to be special for every senior.” He also explained that ”The moment that we had to have was the reading of each person’s name.” 

Though the school is working hard to honor the seniors on the original date of commencement, it is not a replacement for physical graduation. As soon as the state is reopened, the school will try and find a time to hold a traditional graduation ceremony. In fact, Mr. Cahill describes this video as just an “appetizer” for what is to come. 

Many seniors, though frustrated at not having the graduation happen as they had initially expected, are grateful for the efforts that PDS has made. Senior Cal Caputo states that though he was initially “heartbroken,” he is grateful for how the school has worked hard to make the “virtual sneak peek” as special as they can.