Walt Whitman High School To Hold In-Person Graduation

HUNTINGTON STATION, NY — Walt Whitman High School's 90th commencement will feature an in-person ceremony after all. Although the Walt Whitman administration held a virtual graduation last month, the in-person ceremony was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Since this will be the final memory of the students’ high school experience, the administration wanted the South Huntington School District senior class to participate in Walt Whitman’s final tradition: commencement on the football field, the district announced in a news release.

To ensure the safety of the 500 students, their families, and the administration, the ceremony will be divided between two days. Every person will be seated at a safe distance on the football field, and people will not be allowed on the bleachers. To avoid large crowds, the students have
been divided by last name and were given specific time slots to attend the ceremony. Each ceremony will consist of no more than 60 graduates.

The chairs will be properly sanitized between ceremonies in preparation for the next group of
graduates and their families. Since the number of guests will be limited to two guests per graduate, there will also be a live stream of the graduation ceremony.

"With all the disappointment this pandemic has brought, the administration wanted to give
the class of 2020 one final moment to feel a sense of unity and accomplishment," the district stated.

The ceremonies, which will be held on the turf football field at the high school, located at 301 W. Hills Road, Huntington Station, are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, with a rain date of Sunday.

Friday's time slots are 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m., and 8:30 p.m. Saturday's are 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Sunday's, if necessary, are 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.

There will be no gatherings during or after the ceremony at Walt Whitman High School, the district said. People are asked to wear face coverings and maintain a distance of at least six feet from others during the event.