The final quarter of the academic year was not the only SLUH event that had a strange twist due to COVID-19. Three Saint Louis U. High traditions—the Baccalaureate Mass and the graduation ceremony along with the Junior Ring ceremony—had to be revised in order to minimize the potential spread of the virus.

The Baccalaureate Mass and graduation ceremony took place in July, and there were substantial differences from years past. Usually, the Baccalaureate Mass is held in the Danis Field House and the graduation ceremony at the Stifel Theater in downtown St. Louis. However, both events were hosted outside on SLUH’s football field this year, which allowed SLUH to host a large gathering of the graduates and their families while maintaining proper social distancing in compliance with the city’s health guidelines. 

“Our goal was initially to do what we have traditionally done and host the graduation ceremony at the Stifel,” said Assistant Principal for Student Life Brock Kesterson. “But, we had to apply and be approved in order to have an event in the city, and with the capacity numbers that they were limiting us too, we realized that it was going to be very difficult to have there.”

SLUH organizers were aware that the outdoor environment would not be ideal for comfort, and tried to make the ceremonies as comfortable and enjoyable as possible given the circumstances. One decision that they chose was to make both senior gatherings evening affairs in order to avoid the summer heat and the sun.

“I thought the timing was perfect,” said Kesterson. “We tried to make it so when we started the ceremony that the sun was setting behind the Science Center.”

Graduate Peter Michalski was able to see the location and timing as a silver lining. The timing, especially at the graduation ceremony, created a nice aesthetic with the fading sunlight reflecting off the white tuxedos of the graduates.

“It was a really cool thing that this was happening at sunset,” said Michalski. “It was a beautiful evening. The setting sun turned the sky orange, and it was just really cool to see all my classmates around me wearing these super nice white tuxedos with this magnificent sky in the background.”

In another attempt to maximize comfort, the organizers also tried to streamline the ceremonies to help limit the amount of time that the graduates and their families were outside while also maintaining the spirit of the ceremonies. One particularly noticeable change was cutting the tradition of reading out student GPAs. 

“We surely didn’t want to rush it, but we wanted to make sure that it was a comfortable night for people,” said Kesterson.

“They were very simple, but were two beautiful ceremonies,” said graduate Emmanuel Reyes. “I didn’t think that they were too long or too short.”

Despite all the alterations to these two senior traditions, these events were still memorable and meaningful.

“I was just really glad that they could put it on. Being there with everyone after not seeing them for a long time was very special to me. I thought it was a good way to say our last goodbyes,” said Reyes. “I was also really happy with the safety protocols in place. It is one of those things that you cannot take for granted.”

“For me, I think the Baccalaureate Mass was very special. I had not been to a Mass in a while because of social distancing regulations and it was simply a beautiful Mass. I also got to see my classmates for the first time in a while,” said Michalski. “I don't think the Mass lost any of its significance due to the changes that were made. I think SLUH did a nice job to maintain the spirit of these events while still abiding by health protocol.”

“I think these moments were quite special. If you think about it, these experiences are once in a lifetime moments and so unique,” said graduate Jameson Horvarth. “We are the class of 2020 that graduated in the midst of a pandemic. I think this is always going to be something that I remember.”

In addition to the Baccalaureate Mass and Graduation ceremony, the Junior Ring ceremony also needed some adaptations in order to follow health protocols. Planning began in July, yet at first the planning committee members were unsure about how to format the Junior Ring ceremony.

“I didn’t always think that it was going to be in person,” said junior class moderator Tracy Lyons. “I think we talked about live streaming Mass and then having faculty members delivering rings or even having a smaller version ‘Driving of the Bills’ where Juniors could drive by, pick up their rings, and sign the banner.”

The committee ended up settling with the plan to host the ceremony in the Field House and limiting attendence to members of the junior class. 

“The decision to be in person or not really hinged on how much capacity we had in the different spaces,” said Lyons. “We knew that it wasn’t going to work in the Commons, so we tried the Field House. Dr. Kesterson measured out the Field House, and we realized that both the students and parents wouldn’t fit in there, that only the students could.”

The organizing committee believed that this was the best way to deal with the circumstances that were given.

“We thought that we would try as hard as we could to create an in-person event. It certainly looked different than what people initially thought that it would be like,” said Lyons. “The fact that it is a big part of the tradition at SLUH, we wanted to try our best to make it happen, and we wanted to try our best to make it the most accessible and safe.”

Extensive safety protocol was put in place during the ceremony. Students had to maintain six feet at all times and wear masks, and during communion were not allowed to remove their masks until the Eucharistic  Minister had moved on to the next person. No one touched the rings except the individual student, and students received their own sharpie to sign the banner and keep. There was also only one cantor, and singing was not encouraged.

“I did feel safe,” said senior Bernie Kilcuchen. “I was a little nervous being on campus with everybody, but it went smoothly and the safety protocols put in place really made me feel safe.”

“I felt like the organizers did a good job at minimizing the risk,” said senior Daniel Hogan. “I think all the protocols in place really made the ceremony safe and minimized the risk of the virus spreading.”

Overall, the Junior Ring ceremony offered students a unique take on this “passing of the torch” tradition while also limiting the potential spread of the virus.

“I was really happy that it was going to happen, and I thought that it went well,” said Kilcuchen. “I was really excited that we got to receive our rings, and just be together as a class was very special and important to me.”

“It went as smoothly as I could have hoped,” said Lyons. “I think that it was nice. I thought that the parts we were able to save were the special parts, students getting their rings and Mass.”

Photo | Kathleen Chott