FERGUSON, Mo. — A confetti-covered parking lot is the first clue that the graduation ceremony at St. Louis Community College's Florissant Valley campus might be an alternative version caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Graduates arrived by car and then got out to walk across a makeshift stage. It had all the pomp and circumstance of a traditional graduation, plus the appeal of a tailgate party.
Graduate Evita Brodtrick and her family were there to celebrate her nursing degree.
"We drove up and we got to walk out," said Brodtrick. "We did our graduation a little differently."
At the northeast corner of campus, staff members provided direction and encouragement.
“We are cheering for (students) when they come by,” said Paul Huddleston, the station manager of KCFV-FM, the college's radio station
COVID-19 contingency plan graduations like the one held Saturday were likely planned months ago. There's no way organizers could have anticipated that Americans would be slowly but surely emerging from behind the cover of a mask.
Tim Williams, the father of graduate Chelsye Pore, said that while he didn't see a lot of masks, that didn't concern him since the ceremony was outdoors.
But did feel like graduation?
"It worked!” said Pore. "I got to walk up there, so that was kind of cool. I'm glad we got to do this. I'm done. It's time for the next degree."