Photo by Ali Meizels ‘23
Both the classes of 2020 and 2022 will be celebrating Commencement over two separate weekends this upcoming May, along with reunion weekend.
By Sammi Craig ’23
Staff Writer
On Sunday, May 22, at 10:30 a.m., Mount Holyoke College will host its 185th Commencement. After two years of being unable to host an in-person ceremony due to COVID-19 restrictions, the classes of 2020 and 2022 will each experience their own commencement and reunion weekends. The commencement ceremony for the class of 2020 will be hosted a week after the class of 2022, on Sunday, May 29 at 11 a.m.
The commencement ceremony will be held indoors in the Kendall Field House on the indoor track. Each student participating in the Class of 2022 and Class of 2020 commencement ceremonies has been given four tickets to distribute to guests attending in person. All attendees will be required to wear masks and are encouraged to wear a KN-95 or a three-layer mask while indoors and follow social distancing guidelines.
When the events take place, according to the College website, “All campus health and safety protocols, including masking requirements, will be in effect.” In addition to enforcing the current policies already in place on campus, “guests attending Commencement, Reunion and/or related events are required to be up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccination series or must have received either a negative [COVID-19] PCR test within three days of arrival on campus or a negative [COVID-19] rapid antigen test within one day of arrival on campus.” The College asks guests to prepare this information ahead of time.
For students, the masking requirements, testing and other COVID-19 requirements are continuing to operate as they did during the spring semester.
The College has not yet specified whether the COVID-19 Testing Center will continue to operate at normal capacity throughout the reunion and commencement.