COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES for the Class of 2021 will be held virtually in light of community quarantine restrictions, Vice President for the Loyola Schools (VPLS) Maria Luz Vilches announced during the Seniors Forum in December 2020.

According to University Physician Dr. Norman Dennis Marquez, on-site graduation will be “a high-risk event” given the significant number of COVID-19 cases in the country. Associate Dean for Student Administrative Services and Graduation Committee Chair Ma. Joy Salita added that holding an on-site graduation will depend on the guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and Commission on Higher Education.

Given these limitations, Ateneo AEGIS and the Ateneo Seniors’ Alliance (SA) 2021 are currently planning online graduation-related initiatives to ensure a proper send-off to seniors.

Commencing the ceremony

Ateneo SA 2021 Chairperson Gideon Banzuela said that the tentative date for the Class of 2021’s graduation is on October 10. He explained that seniors typically end the second semester earlier than the other undergraduates, but they cannot adopt a similar setup this year due to the quarterly system.

Salita and University Registrar Joaquin Agtarap, MBA also stated that offices need to immediately prepare for intersession classes after AY 2020-2021 ends in June. Likewise, departments now have more time to handle graduation-related activities such as appeals for change of grade and selection for class valedictorian.

However, Banzuela clarified that seniors will already be considered graduates in the first week of June, given that they pass all their academic requirements. Once deemed graduates, they may already request for their diplomas and Transcript of Records.

To ensure proper representation of the graduating batch, Banzuela assured that they aim to hold frequent consultations with seniors. “We would [want to] make the final months [of the year] and our graduation as meaningful, as exciting, and as fun. And we would think of creative ways and try our best to do that,” he said.

Banzuela added that they already gave the Board of Trustees a list of preferred commencement speakers, Baccalaureate Mass homilists, and graduation themes based on the results of the seniors’ survey in January. SA also plans to give seniors a proper send-off through a batch video or memory walls.

Salita said that other specific plans for the commencement exercises will still be announced by the Office of the VPLS as the Graduation Committee has not yet convened. 

Adjusting the process

According to Ateneo AEGIS’ yearbook schedule, graduation pictorials will begin in April. Ateneo AEGIS Editor-in-Chief Enzo Pisig shared that it is difficult to find a venue for on-site photoshoots as the Seniors’ Pulse responses revealed that many seniors are currently not in Metro Manila.

“Hindi naman siya limitation pero it’s more of an additional consideration for us [because] they are still part of the batch that we serve and […] we also have to think of ways that we can still cater to them,” he said.

Pisig also clarified that on-site photoshoots will not necessarily be conducted on campus due to its strict safety protocols, so their current priority is to find the studio most accessible to seniors. “We want a studio that will be able to cater to all our requirements. We want a studio that will be accessible to the students and give us flexibility in terms of the options that we offered,” he said.

Pisig added that those in other provinces or countries may take their photos at home. Ateneo AEGIS’ chosen studio will direct students in taking their photographs and edit the pictures for visual cohesiveness. “[For] those who would want to take their photos at home, we want to […] give them guidelines in terms of how to pose, ano yung lighting, ano yung angle,” he added.

Ateneo AEGIS hopes to release photoshoot guidelines and sign-up processes mid-March. Pisig also said that they plan to digitize some parts of the yearbook depending on the final Seniors’ Pulse results.

Pisig reassured that they are consulting with both the student body and the administration to establish thorough planning for yearbook-related matters. “We had to prepare our team to have that mindset [that] whatever it was before, it doesn’t necessarily have to be how it will be this year,” he said.

Bidding farewell

Amidst all the setbacks, Pisig commended the students’ patience in adjusting to the online setting. “We’re rooting for you. […] Even with all of [the restrictions], we still understand the importance of a toga photo […] which is why we really want to make this whole process accessible to everyone,” he said. 

Similarly, Salita said that they will continue finding ways to conduct a momentous graduation ceremony despite the online set-up. Banzuela added that SA is doing its best to conceptualize ideas that will make the seniors’ final year special.

“It’s frustrating sometimes that we can’t do the usual things seniors do, but I assure everyone that you are consulted from time to time,” Banzuela said.