By LILY REAVIS ’21 & DECLAN LANGTON ’22
During the transition period following the announcement of Mount Holyoke’s campus closure, alums and class board members worked to put on a mock Laurel Parade and graduation ceremony for members of the class of 2020, who were denied many of the spring semester traditions by the pandemic.
On March 12, seniors dressed in “anything white,” according to the event’s Facebook page and in lieu of the traditional all-white formal wear which the event calls for. They congregated near Skinner Green, surrounded by faculty and staff members in full regalia, alums from the surrounding area and members of the other current classes. Many seniors carried blue signs — their class color — adorned with phrases like ,“We’re the last class to have a full year of decentralized dining,” and “We know how to make an exit.”
“The members of the class of 2020 who coordinated the Laurel Parade and graduation gave everyone in their class the most incredible parting gift,” Senior Class Board Vice President Rebecca Piperno ’20 said.
Anna Stone ’20 was one of the organizers of the parade. “I wanted to organize the Laurel Parade because it was one of the traditions I was most disappointed about missing,” she said.
The parade began in front of Rockefeller Hall with the 2020 blue class banner leading the way. Students followed the route across Skinner Green and into the academic quad.
“The thing that I remember the most about the Laurel Parade was seeing the faculty in their academic regalia cheering us on and running across the green with the other students still on campus to make sure that 2020 was being cheered on every step of the way,” Piperno said.
The senior class gathered at College Founder Mary Lyon’s grave, surrounded by community members, to sing the poem-turned-song “Bread and Roses,” followed by the alma mater and anti-alma mater. Seniors throughout the crowd held onto each other, using phones and print-outs to remember the lyrics. Some members of the crowd sang along.
“I burst into tears at the Laurel Parade,” said Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Marcella Runell Hall. “I love this class. I remember giving the opening remarks to the 2020 class in 2016 — for most of them, although there are transfers and others who didn’t come in then — and I remember thinking it was so profound.”
“I’m heartbroken for our seniors,” Hall added.
The crowds did not dissipate after finishing the songs. Instead, seniors started chants of “Y-O-K-E” and “2020,” which eventually fell quiet as they instead hugged friends and posed for pictures.
“I didn’t expect our impromptu parade to end up being anywhere near as big as it was,” Stone said. “Seeing so many seniors, alums, faculty, staff and other students come out for it with only a day’s notice was very touching … The whole student body really rallied during our last few days on campus to give the seniors the best send-off they could have, considering the circumstances.”
The next day, members of the class of 2020 threw an impromptu graduation ceremony in Gettell Amphitheater. Seniors dressed in their caps and gowns to walk down the center staircase, again surrounded by community members cheering them on.
“While the Laurel Parade provided closure and allowed us all to mourn what would have been our senior spring in the most incredible way, supported by our community, graduation I think allowed us to gain acceptance of the situation through the celebration of the senior class's accomplishments,” Piperno said.
The ceremony featured commencement performances and speeches, most edited from their original lengths to fit the new circumstances. A celebratory mood was set by a dance performance from the group Rainbow Jelly, and continued through speeches and performances from students across the class, including a “big sister” advice speech by Ahlaam Abdulgalil FP ’20.
Seniors sang along to ABBA songs, danced in the amphitheater and learned from Professor of Economics James Hartley how to make the perfect martini. The event did not have a clear end, unlike a traditional graduation ceremony, but instead asked members of the class of 2020 to leave whenever they felt enough closure to do so.
“At the end of the day, it felt not like the goodbye we had wanted, but the one that we needed,” Piperno said. “The sense of community and love for each other was tangible, and I am so thankful that we were able to share such an incredible experience during this trying time.”