YHS Convocation Goes on despite covid
Seniors Cam Merrill and Harrison Pendelton joked around prior to the event. (Jenn Lainey)
by John Wyatt Sullivan
May 25, 2021
Due to Covid protocols, convocation at Yarmouth High School was done differently than in past years. The event took place in the gymnasium at YHS, and attendance was restricted to soon-to-be graduates and their advisors.
The event occurred on May 12. It started at seven o’clock and lasted around one and a half hours. The event was live streamed for a broader audience, including parents of the soon-to-be graduates. The program included speeches, musical acts, and a dance performance.
According to Amy Bushway, an instructional support teacher at YHS, the purpose of convocation is to kickstart graduation events and “to bring students together before they leave.”
Amy Bongard, assistant principal, noted that convocation typically “sets the tone for graduation.” She also said that convocation is “typically less formal than graduation.”
Some parents and faculty complained that the audio for the live streaming was not particularly good. The author’s parents Mr. and Ms. Sullivan said, “I wish the sound had been better. It was really hard to make out who was doing what during convocation.”
David Riddle, a senior at YHS, said, “The event was good. It was just extraordinarily difficult to hear what the speakers were saying.”
In past years, convocation has been held in a local church. “The church has a warm feeling with everyone very close; it’s more intimate,” said Ms. Bongard, adding that next year convocation may return to the church.
May 25, 2021
Due to Covid protocols, convocation at Yarmouth High School was done differently than in past years. The event took place in the gymnasium at YHS, and attendance was restricted to soon-to-be graduates and their advisors.
The event occurred on May 12. It started at seven o’clock and lasted around one and a half hours. The event was live streamed for a broader audience, including parents of the soon-to-be graduates. The program included speeches, musical acts, and a dance performance.
According to Amy Bushway, an instructional support teacher at YHS, the purpose of convocation is to kickstart graduation events and “to bring students together before they leave.”
Amy Bongard, assistant principal, noted that convocation typically “sets the tone for graduation.” She also said that convocation is “typically less formal than graduation.”
Some parents and faculty complained that the audio for the live streaming was not particularly good. The author’s parents Mr. and Ms. Sullivan said, “I wish the sound had been better. It was really hard to make out who was doing what during convocation.”
David Riddle, a senior at YHS, said, “The event was good. It was just extraordinarily difficult to hear what the speakers were saying.”
In past years, convocation has been held in a local church. “The church has a warm feeling with everyone very close; it’s more intimate,” said Ms. Bongard, adding that next year convocation may return to the church.