Victoria Mundell / Staff reporter 

The world has begun to make its way back to normal as COVID-19 restrictions lift, bringing back traditions like the commencement ceremony. After two years of commencements affected by COVID-19 rules, the school district is once again allowed to host in-person full capacity ceremonies with little to no restrictions. This year’s commencement ceremony will be on June 1, at 7:00pm at the Orpheum theatre. 

“I really appreciate [having a commencement ceremony], it’s quite different from the last years, so I’m quite grateful to have one,” said Ashley Huang, grade 12. 

Graduates will enter the theatre on Granville Street, separate from family, where they will meet at the top floor. Every graduate receives three complementary tickets for guests and any extra tickets cost $5 each.  

The Orpheum theatre is 95 years old, presenting a renaissance look that creates an elegant atmosphere for graduates as described by Kelly Zimmer, vice principal. The event itself is formal and students are expected to behave in an appropriate manner; the ceremony should not be treated like the dinner dance, which is happening on June 17. 

No restrictions are in place as of now, but general safety precautions will be taken, such as substituting shaking hands during the ceremony for fist or elbow bumps. The theatre has a capacity of about 3000 people, making overcrowding unlikely as there are only 315 graduates but an estimated 297 attending plus family and staff. 

Last year commencement was held in the MPR at a much smaller scale. Students were given a time to arrive in the parking lot where they were placed into groups and spaced six feet apart until going into the MPR for their turn. Compared to years before where students would walk onto the stage of the Orpheum theatre facing a large crowd, last year only about five staff members and their family were there to watch. Because of its complexity, the full day took many hours to run, with some organizers getting there at 6:30 a.m. and leaving at 4:00 p.m.  

“I knew how disappointed families and kids were, but we weren’t allowed [to do things as normal,]” said Zimmer.

With the return of normal graduation comes an air of enthusiasm in the graduating class as attested by Huang, “It’s impossible to not feel emotional about [commencement], it’s the end of the beginning; but even though you may feel sad, you still feel hopeful about the possibilities it signifies,” added Huang.