During the novel coronavirus outbreak, parents have found unique ways to celebrate life’s milestones. From birthdays to funerals, it’s our instinct to gather together but social distancing had caused us to cancel or modify these events. As the Class of 2020 seeks to commemorate their graduation in some way, many have taken to hosting “wave parades,” where caravans of cars arrive at a location to cheer on graduates. We’ve also seen plenty of drive-by birthday parties where those celebrating tape signs and streamers to their vehicles as a show of support or teachers cruising through a neighborhood to wave to students.
But do these celebrations go against Governor Murphy’s directive to cease all in-person gatherings and stay at home except for necessary trips like to the grocery store, to go to an essential job or for a doctor visit? On Saturday, Colonel Patrick Callahan, state director of emergency management, issued a letter stating that “in light of the components of Executive Order No. 107, and in the best interest of the health and safety of the public, in-person ceremonies, including graduations, all parades, including ‘wave parades,’ that invite people to gather at a certain location, proms and other similar celebrations violate the enumerated conditions of the order, and should therefore be cancelled or postponed until such time as these restrictions are lifted.”
But since some of these parades and celebrations have been led or accompanied by the police or first responders, it was unclear to many NJ residents what exactly is permissible. In a press conference, Callahan clarified driving past a house and waving to someone on a porch is ok. What the letter addresses is the large groups of people who have been congregating at a specified location to celebrate. Under no circumstances should large groups of people be meeting up—even if they maintain social distancing. If you choose to do a drive-by, it’s essential to stay in your vehicle. Getting out and celebrating together, as appealing as it seems, would negate the purpose of the social distancing we’ve all been practicing to try and flatten the curve and stop the spread of coronavirus.
In lieu of traditional celebrations, some schools are hosting virtual graduations as a way to celebrate grads, along with online message boards and even virtual reality graduations.
Assistant Commissioner AbdulSaleem Hasan of the NJ Department of Education (DOE) offered alternatives to gathering in-person to acknowledge grads:
- Stream your ceremony on your district website or on another streaming service that includes prerecorded messages.
- Consider reaching out to celebrities or public figures to record speeches or messages for seniors in your school district.
- If resources allow, your district may consider developing a virtual reality graduation, where within a virtual graduation environment, student avatars participate in a graduation ceremony.
And although it is disappointing not to be able to celebrate in person, New Jersey’s best and brightest will certainly come up with creative ways to honor the hard work and dedication of the Class of 2020.
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