Throughout the 2020 to 2021 school year, several RCHS events have been canceled due to COVID-19 safety concerns and regulations. Recently, however, the RCHS administration has announced that the graduation ceremony will be held in person. The graduation ceremony is set to take place on Friday, June 4 at 5:30 p.m. (or Saturday, June 5 at 9:30 a.m. if the weather is poor). Prior to the event, attending seniors will meet for a mandatory graduation practice on Tuesday, June 1 at 9:30. Although the ceremony will still be held, it will undergo slight modification to ensure that students, their families, and RCHS staff are safe. 

Instead of being held inside of the VMI basketball stadium as in years prior, the event will occur outdoors on the RCHS football field. Through this format, attendees will be able to maintain social distancing with six feet of space. Another safety measure involves a limitation on the number of attendees. Each student is currently permitted a maximum of five guests (this number may change according to the Governor’s COVID-19 protocols). Although the guidelines may not be ideal, several RCHS students and families appreciate the school’s willingness to organize the event amidst present obstacles. 

Senior Addison Suter plans to attend the upcoming graduation ceremony and will bring her parents and her grandparents as her five guests. 

“I hope that the event will bring the senior class back together one last time before we leave since we have not been able to experience much else together this year,” said Suter. “I am actually excited about the outside format too. I know a lot of schools do this format anyway, and I think that it could be fun.” 

Senior Jackson West also plans to attend the graduation ceremony. As his five guests, he will bring his parents, his sister, and one of his grandparents. 

“I am looking forward to the event, and I know that my parents are relieved that they will be able to come celebrate my graduation. This past year has definitely been tough for the senior class, so the ceremony will be a good way to bring an end to the school year,” said West. “I don’t mind that it’s outside, but I do hope that we don’t get rained out. It’s definitely going to be an unusual ceremony compared to the past VMI ceremonies, but I think that it will turn out well, and seniors will be glad they came.”