No ‘main character moment’ for Wellington graduates
After years of studying and last semester all online, 785 Wellington graduates lose their April ceremony and a postponed ceremony hangs in the air.
Massey announced to 2021 graduates that the 12 April graduation ceremony was postponed until October due to red light restrictions, but with the uncertainty of restrictions nothing is for sure.
Graduating student Bella Bolter heard the news through email on 15 March, the day after her birthday. She said, “My family was gonna come down from Auckland, I’ve been at uni for years so I’ve been planning this. I wanted to have a big main character moment.”
Bolter had been at uni for five years and racked up a huge student loan, she deserved a ceremony to celebrate completing a Bachelor of Communications. “My plan was always like, I’m gonna sneak a Boom into my gown so I can have some walk-up music.”
“When my exes graduation got cancelled in 2020, that was funny. I was like, “it's what he deserves,” but this time it’s not funny.”
Massey plans to courier certificates to graduates. Bolter said, “I just know NZ Post is so incompetent so I don’t even know if I’m gonna get it.”
“I’m gonna lose my 40,000-dollar piece of paper.”
April graduates not only have a postponed ceremony, but had to do their last semester entirely online. Bolter said, “I had my last class in August and I didn’t even know it was my last in-person class.”
“One of my friends told me that when she had her last class in her graduating year, her professor clapped her out.”
By October, many graduates will have started jobs around the country and started their lives. “April till October is still quite a big gap and lots of people move for work anyway so lots of people miss their graduations,” Bolter said.
Luckily Bolter will be able to attend an October ceremony. She is making the best of her circumstances and plans to have a photoshoot with her certificate. Bolter understood why Massey made its decision. “At the end of the day it’s the safe thing to do, like imagine the PR nightmare of ‘Massey Graduation cases super spreader’.”
A Massey University spokesperson said 785 students planned to attend the Wellington ceremony, and this doesn’t include guests that can bring attendance up to 2,500 people. “We know celebrating and capturing the moment of graduating is a highlight, which is why we are committed to holding ceremonies later in the year, if restrictions allow.”
“Students who applied to graduate will have their qualification conferred by Massey University’s Chancellor on 12 April, and have their certificate couriered to them.” The spokesperson said decisions about the Manawatū and Auckland ceremonies are still in progress as the decisions are normally made approximately five weeks prior to any large event.
