A number of college students from Fisk College‘s Class of 2024 (who want to stay nameless) are calling for change after the college made sudden alterations to their upcoming graduation ceremony. Final week, on April seventeenth, Fisk reportedly notified the senior class that they’d made modifications to the ceremony, which is scheduled to be held on Monday, Might sixth.
“On Wednesday, April seventeenth, 2024 Fisk College administration made the chief resolution to alter the 2024 location from the Grove (higher often called the Fisk College Yard) on Monday, Might sixth at 9:00 am to a neighborhood church at 8:30 am,” one e mail to HBCU BUZZ learn.
Based on one pupil who messaged through Instagram, the college additionally modified the variety of tickets allotted per senior. “Initially graduating seniors have been allotted 4 ticketed friends with overflow allowed to attend by bringing their very own chairs (basically a vast quantity of friends have been allowed). Now, college students are being advised solely ticketed friends (complete of eight) can attend.”
The Class of 2024, who’re additionally members of the COVID-19 highschool class, have been unable to have a bodily commencement as a result of pandemic in 2020. Fisk seniors inform us that “graduating on the Grove has not solely been a dream, however an expectation since August of 2023.”
“We as the category of 2024 received’t get to instantly go to the oval as different lessons have (a convention of Fisk College) or get to graduate on our personal campus,” one other person wrote.
In a screenshot despatched from one other pupil, Fisk College reportedly defined that the modifications have been made as a result of transfer to a bigger facility, (The Home of God Church in Nashville), which might accommodate as much as 2300 folks. Consequently, every graduate would now obtain eight tickets as an alternative of the preliminary 4.
“I acknowledge that some graduating seniors could really feel dissatisfied by the change in venue for the ceremony, particularly relating to considerations in regards to the attendance of their family members,” the assertion reads.
“Enable me to elucidate the rationale behind the choice to maneuver the graduation to an indoor facility. Firstly, as we rejoice not solely the silver class of 1999 and the gold class of 1974, offering a managed local weather turns into crucial for the consolation of all attendees, together with your mother and father and grandparents. Secondly, making certain that each visitor has a seat eliminates the necessity for anybody to face for prolonged durations in the course of the ceremony. Lastly, by shifting indoors, we mitigate the chance of getting to relocate the graduation final minute because of inclement climate, as has occurred up to now.”
College students and oldsters have expressed their considerations in regards to the sudden modifications and the way they are going to impression the seniors’ expertise of graduating on campus, in addition to their relations who could not be capable to attend the ceremony.
“Flat out ignoring pupil considerations for a public picture is alleged,” one person commented. “deliver our HISTORIC celebration again to our HISTORICIALLY BLACK INSTITUTION!” one other person wrote.
Regardless of Fisk reportedly making extra modifications since final week to assist accommodate the venue and ticket alterations, reminiscent of “providing two extra tickets, organizing a reception for graduates on the grove, and permitting the church doorways to stay open till it’s at max capability,” seniors nonetheless really feel as if their considerations have been ignored and that they’re being robbed of the normal Fisk commencement expertise.
“Having a celebration on the yard plus an extra move-out day is nice, however we have been nonetheless robbed of taking part in traditions that different lessons earlier than us go to!”
Fisk seniors hope that this name for change will deliver consciousness to the unfavorable impression that impromptu modifications reminiscent of these have on graduates sooner or later.
“Our intention is to not bash Fisk or discourage any college students from attending this superb college, we simply need to really feel heard and hope this expertise retains this from occurring to every other grads sooner or later,” a Fisk senior tells us.
We reached out to Fisk College for remark and are at present ready to listen to again.
Fisk College’s Commencement ceremony will happen on Monday, Might sixth. Al Roker and Deborah Roberts would be the graduation audio system.
