After the abrupt end of senior year for the Class of 2020, the chances for a proper senior year for the class of 21 seemed extremely slim. Now, nearly at the end of the school year seniors were informed that an in-person graduation will happen. The event will definitely not look like and be like prior years as there are tight COVID-19 restrictions.

The ceremony will take place June 10 on the Clark field where families of graduates will be seated in pods. One change this year is the amount of guests allowed each graduate is allotted to invite only four guests. Even though senior Mane Khacathryan is thrilled to be able to have the ceremony still happen, she isn’t too happy about the guest limitations. “I am grateful to be able to have the ceremony happen as it will be a nice memory to end off the year with,” Khachatryan. said. “However, it would be great to have more family members that have supported me through the years actually see me graduate.”

School administrators allowed the seniors to also have a say in what the ceremony will look like, through a Google Form. “We were emailed a Google Form with options as to what venue we would prefer and how many guests we wanted to invite,” said senior Sonia Aydenjian. “Some of the options for graduation included having two separate ceremonies, allowing two guests per graduate if held on the amphitheatre, four guests if held on the field, and if students wanted more guests then graduation would possibly be at the Rose Bowl.”

“On the field, behind barricades, we have set up pods of four chairs all spaced six feet apart for immediate family members of graduates,” said counselor Anna Margaryan. “The event will be broadcasted as well to give other family and friends an opportunity to see the event.”

Senior Ernesto Aguilar, one of the student graduation speakers, said that he hopes that his speech will uplift himself and peers. “Without giving away too many details, my speech is about the theme of victory,” Aguilar said. “It is centered around the theme that despite all of the hurdles and curveballs that were thrown at the Class of 2021, we all made it to our high school graduation together and are about to begin the next amazing chapter of our lives. It is more optimistic about the future than pessimistic thought about the past. It is written to empower and uplift myself and my peers after a turbulent year.”

Despite a majority of excited seniors, senior Janice Rigor said she hasn’t shared in the same enthusiasm for the in-person graduation as some of her peers. “Just from the outcome of this year, graduation was the last thing on my mind, so when I found out that event was going to happen I was like, ‘this is the last thing I needed,’” Rigor said. “After a virtual senior year, a graduation ceremony seemed to have lost its value to me.”

Some details about the event haven’t been disclosed to seniors and families besides emails asking for their input. As some details regarding the event are still up in the air, administrators have been putting in lots of effort to make for a smooth ceremony. “Lots of meetings, planning and researching have taken place to make this possible,” Margaryan said.