Class of COVID-19: The Year without a Commencement

By Sarah Kittle

Chaldeans are known for being loving and supportive, for their emphasis on faith and family, and for their large gatherings. Baptisms, First Communions and birthdays are huge, but weddings and graduations are extravagant, big fanfares with singing and dancing; the stuff that legends are made of. The graduation parties for the Class of 2020 were going to be epic.

As January crept into February, many were planning their big day, checking dates with friends to make sure there was no party ‘overlap,’ and dreaming of a day when finals would be over. As March arrived and with it, coronavirus in the United States, there was some concern but no one knew that within weeks, most of the businesses and schools in America would close their doors and we’d all be sent home and told to stay there.

Graduating seniors were robbed of their finale. At high schools across the country, students didn’t get to say “goodbye” to their teachers or their classmates. They held no prom, had no floats, no dinners or honors ceremonies. There were no final debates or performances, last games or matches, no Spring Break or Senior Skip Day, no class trip, not even a last day in class. The events that define their senior year were stolen from them by a virus that, until now, they had most likely never heard of. Suddenly, teens that worried about their SATs were now worrying about COVID-19. Can they give it to Grandma?

Dreams of that last big summer before the real world set in were dashed, and the real world crashed in, sideways and skidding. It’s still racking up the casualties: summer jobs, vacations, campus tours. What about next year? Can students even hope to enroll in the fall?

At colleges coast to coast, classes were moved online, labs were canceled, and dorms shut down. Students who were supposed to be abroad were recalled. Senior projects screeched to a halt. Campuses emptied out and the bewildered students were sent home. What’s next? Wait and see? Seriously?

Some graduates don’t even feel like they have the right to complain. People are dying and out of jobs and losing their homes. But minimizing their feelings of loss does not help. Parents stressed by uncertainty and financial strain shouldn’t have to worry about their kid crying over a missed class or ceremony, we get it. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.

Rule number one when dealing with grief is never compare losses. Hurt is felt equally by the people experiencing it. Even though students in the same class may have different feelings, they all matter. A loss is a loss. Think about it; after so looking forward to achieving that long sought after dream, you are in the home stretch, then poof! Just like that, your school year ends. Not with pomp and circumstance, but with a quarantine and face masks. Say what?

At a time when young adults are facing the biggest growth spurt on their track to independence, this must have felt like a jerk on the leash. Dreams of dorm décor were replaced by the nightmare of uncertainty. Luckily for all, there’s the internet of things. Ironically, the thing that parents are always trying to curtail – screen time – has become the computer’s saving grace.

These kids were born in the time of cell phones and streaming services, so the transition to online learning didn’t involve a huge learning curve, at least not for them. Parents, teachers and administrators may have had some catching up to do, but working together to finish the school year was just the first hurdle.

Most high school seniors we spoke to said they are hopefully optimistic about going to college in the fall. Hailey Qasawadish, a senior at Valhalla High in El Cajon, California says, “After graduation, I will be attending the University of California, Los Angeles as a Biology major on the Pre-Med track. I want to become a surgeon.”

Her thoughts about the circumstances are positive. “Although it saddens me that I wasn’t able to experience my final days of high school on the Valhalla campus due to COVID-19, I am hoping that colleges will reopen in the fall. I am ready to begin my new adventure at UCLA,” says Qasawadish. 

She and her fellow seniors may have a different experience from past graduates, but most have arrived at the same place on their journey: Gratitude. “I am forever blessed for my family, friends, and all of the memories I’ve made over the last four years.”

Because Chaldeans love to celebrate, it’s no surprise that accommodations have been made to congratulate the Class of 2020 in fun and cultural ways. Yes, I’m talking about the Zaffa! In fact, Zaffet Joseph Entertainment has been around the block a few times, playing the tabul drums in the back of a pickup truck for grads and their families from the driveway and street. It’s infinitely more fun than a simple sign on the front lawn.

“The months of April and May presented a dire situation for the residents of Michigan,” said a representative of Zaffet Joseph Entertainment in an email. “The boredom and hopelessness created by the situation was something which needed to be addressed.” 

They were determined to find a way to continue delivering world-class, highly enjoyable entertainment in a way that didn’t compromise on public health and safety. From this resolution stemmed the idea of the drive-by Zaffa. “We hope to continue this work of ours,” the email went on, “and feel honored to have the opportunity to serve everyone around us, and spread smiles, one drive at a time.”

Because we wanted to celebrate the graduates in the Chaldean community in a special way, the CN teamed up with the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce (CACC) and the Chaldean Community Foundation (CCF) to host a virtual graduation ceremony. The June 12th event is designed to give the graduates a forum to be recognized and for some of them, to be heard.

A message from the Bishop and congratulations from other notable people in the community will be included, along with a roll call of names and a parade of senior photos. “We want to give them a real commencement, or as close as we can get,” says CACC and CCF president Martin Manna. “We are proud of them, and we want them to know it.”

The future may look different for many, but Lauren Piziali, a senior at Mercy High School, is counting on the quarantine coming to an end and life returning to normal.  “I am going to attend the University of Michigan to major in Biology.” When asked if her plans had changed due to the pandemic, Piziali replied, “As of right now, I will be moving in this fall and attending classes on campus. So, COVID-19 has not affected anything so far!”