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Point counterpoint: New graduation space

Point counterpoint: New graduation space
New graduation space will be a positive change

For the past couple of years, Park administrators have been working to advocate for a financial grant that would allow for Park more advanced spaces, such as a flex space and a new football stadium. The attempt at the grant started back in 2017, but due to COVID wasn’t approved until 2022, and this year the flex space was opened. After the construction of the flex space, administrators decided to begin construction on the football field to use the rest of the grant money positively, benefiting Park students. Due to the construction, graduation can no longer happen at the football field, where it typically does. Instead, a new graduation space was announced for the class of 2025, the Northrop Carlson Family Stage at the University of Minnesota.

When the venue change was announced I was filled with excitement. A new graduation space is a long overdue change of scenery and also allows for an experience similar to the ones that most other high schoolers across Minnesota have: having a graduation inside an auditorium. Seeing other high school graduations across social media platforms has always made me wish we could have graduation inside an auditorium. The high ceiling, the community that could form from being together under the same roof, and just being somewhere besides the school setting excited me. The new venue seemed much more monumental and hearing that my class would get this opportunity was exciting to me.

Not only will having graduation in the auditorium provide a similar experience as other high schools, but it also will be a nice change of scenery. After going to graduation as a spectator for the past few years, I’ve come to have the routine engraved in my mind and have a sense of what my own graduation would have looked like if it had been held on the football field. Now, the vision of the day is something new. While some may be uncomfortable with this change, I find it exciting and believe there’s a lot of potential for it to be fun for graduating seniors as well as families, who may be familiar with what graduation typically looks like and are ready for a different pace.

Another reason having graduation in the auditorium is a positive change is because of its emphasis on how real graduating is. While graduation on the football field would feel exciting, it wouldn’t feel as special as I picture it elsewhere. Being on the football field for graduation didn’t feel special because so many other high school events are held there. The new space will be the final push from the school making the day more notable and emphasizing the change.

In previous years, there hasn’t been a set limit on the number of tickets and there has been much more flexibility due to graduation being outside. This year, however, students will only get five tickets. Thankfully, there are a few loopholes around this. For twins in the senior class, each student will get five tickets, meaning the family will get ten. Not everyone has ten people they would want to bring to their ceremony, so it is an option to ask someone for an extra ticket if you have more than five people who you would like to bring. People with small families also have spare tickets, so there are many options for students to obtain extra tickets.

Overall, I believe there are many more benefits than drawbacks to having graduation in a new space this year. As a senior myself, I anticipate this new experience and look forward to sharing this meaningful moment with my peers in a new space.

2025 graduation stripped of tradition for new venue

The senior class of 2025 will be having their graduation ceremony at the Northrop Carlson Family Stage Theatre at the U of M. This will be the first time in many years that the graduating class will not have their graduation held in the stadium at Park. The venue change is due to construction being held at the stadium for renovations, which tradition is to have the graduation in the stadium. I know I, a part of this graduating class, was looking forward to having graduation held at the stadium. I have many memories of seeing my brother and friends graduate throughout the years at the stadium. I’ve always had great times at previous graduations and the environment at the stadium is super fun because there are always amazing sunsets during the graduation, great weather and they’re filled with people cheering which brings the level of excitement up. Instead of being in a very energetic atmosphere, the class of 2025 will be cooped up in a theatre.

Transportation will be a big issue. There will be many different moving parts to transport the graduating class to the U of M campus. Firstly it can take forever to get there, with the possibility of traffic. Just the amount of students that are being brought can range from 300-400 students. While the stadium is more convenient because it’s right next to the school, transportation isn’t a huge factor, it was also easier for the families of these students to park at the high school because parking was a lot more accessible. At the U of M it could be a lot more complicated to find parking in a more dense area, and paying for parking is expensive.

Another issue I have with graduation being held at the Northrop Carlson Family Stage is the number of attendees each student can bring. This year, each student will be able to invite at most five people, with the possibility of getting one more depending on demand.. Some graduates’ friends and families will miss out on seeing someone they know and care about graduate. Conversely, at the stadium students could invite more friends and family. I would want as many of my family members as possible to see me graduate. I know it will become an issue when kids have to decide who they want to bring and have to tell other family members that they can’t come, which makes it difficult for the graduating students.

Graduating on the football field also means friends and family can come onto the field and celebrate graduation. This has been something I’ve looked forward to for years, watching my friends graduate. At the new location family members won’t be able to celebrate with their students and will instead have to wait until everyone gets out of the theatre. To me, this is annoying. I feel like more memories would be created in a nostalgic setting like the stadium that holds tradition.

A way to hold the graduation ceremony at the stadium is by delaying the construction. I think it’s a reasonable ask as it would mean a lot to the graduating class—we should keep it at the stadium.

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