DAPHNE – Almost a month after the scheduled date and more than two months after classes were canceled, Eastern Shore high school seniors of the Class of 2020 received their diplomas in ceremonies modified for social distancing.
Daphne High School held its graduation ceremony on Trojan Field at Jubilee Stadium on Monday, June 1. On June 2, Fairhope High School graduates received their diplomas on W.C. Majors Field and Spanish Fort seniors graduated at “The Hill” at Spanish Fort High School Stadium.
The ceremonies had been scheduled for early May before schools across Alabama were closed in March due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
Daphne Senior Class President Savannah Weed said Class of 2020 members were not sure if they would have a ceremony at all.
“Today is the day that almost never was,” she said. “The day that should have occurred almost a month ago. The day that the Class of 2020 was scheduled to make their exit from Daphne High School and their entrance into the world beyond. That day came and went. We were left hoping for a new day, hoping for a chance to say our goodbyes and hoping for the moment to walk our traditional rite of passage. Thankfully, the new date has arrived.”
Spanish Fort Senior Class President Dylan Peterson said his classmates will remember these last few weeks.
“We really are so lucky,” Peterson said. “A couple of weeks ago, this graduation had the potential to look more like the drive-through at Chick-fil-a than what we have here tonight. To say we will never forget our last semester at high school is quite the understatement. It’s been at the very least, pretty bizarre.”
Students were seated on the field in seats spaced six feet apart, while a limited number of family members were allowed in the stands, occupying every other row in the stadium seats.
“While this ceremony may look somewhat different from many years past, this change is not a bad thing,” Daphne Principal John Comer told graduates. “Change provides us the opportunity to grow, to adapt and to persevere. Tonight is your night. It is a celebration of your perseverance, your personal victories and your membership in the Trojan family.”
At Spanish Fort High School, Principal Brian Williamson said the Class of 2020 has spent their lives in a world facing adversity.
“They were born in the chaos that stemmed from 9/11, now, they’re living through an unprecedented pandemic that has forever changed the world as we know it,” Williamson said. “I know the events of this year will only help prepare you for all the many things that can throw at you. You learned a great deal of patience as well as how to overcome adversity.”
The Spanish Fort graduation was almost canceled again. Rains caused the event to be postponed for 30 minutes while officials waited to see if the weather would allow the ceremony to go on. Graduates on the field and family members in the stands sat under umbrellas as they watched the ceremony.
Peterson said the weather was just another setback.
“Here’s the good news, we will not be defined by this pandemic. It’s just another bump in the road for us. What will define us is how we overcome it all. We’ve overcome before. This class has seen its share of hard times. In fact, think about it, most of our lives began after the time of 9/11 and we have all grown up in a country constantly at war,” he said.
At the Daphne City Council meeting going on at the same time as the ceremony, Council President Robin LeJeune praised the graduates and the educators who were able to put the ceremonies together.
“It is a great night because we have graduates graduating and they’re able to do so together at the stadium here and I know it’s limited family, but just them being able to do it when at a point we didn’t think they were going to be able to is really just a shining light for tonight,” LeJeune said. “So, I’m really happy to see that we were able to do that and our school board was able to make that happen for them. So congratulations to the graduates everywhere. It has been a difficult time. The pandemic and uncertainty and then to have this happen to us.”
