Thanks to coronavirus, Dartmouth High seniors are getting a graduation unlike any other — and despite their disappointment, many are starting to come around to the idea, according to class secretary Sabrina Pires.

Earlier this month Principal Ross Thibault announced a socially distanced ceremony where all 259 seniors will walk across the auditorium stage in scheduled time slots. Only immediate family members will be present for each student, and face masks will be required.

The ceremony will be filmed and edited into a video for broadcast on June 7, what would have been graduation day. There will also be a parade through town that morning.

And while disappointed, most seniors understand the need to prioritize safety in the time of coronavirus, said Pires.

After seeing a lot of backlash about the decision on social media, Pires made an impassioned plea for understanding from her classmates in a popular video posted online. 

In the video, she explained how hard the class officers, advisors, and school administrators worked to mark the end of the year celebrations as safely as possible.

“I know a lot of people are struggling with our decision,” she said. “We are listening, and we are really trying...I’m a senior, I know what it’s like to have the senior year taken away. And it’s awful. I would love to have a graduation, I would love to have a prom. But we’re in the middle of a pandemic.”

Pires reminded her classmates how serious the situation is, noting that she lives with her grandparents and that her dad has asthma. “I don’t want to lose anybody,” she said, adding that the virtual graduation video is just a temporary solution.

“It’s only for right now,” she said. “We are planning for ceremonies and honors and everything for once this clears up — we want people to be honored the way they deserve to be.”

She said afterwards that since she posted the video, students have “calmed down” about the end of year events. “They realized it’s not a random decision,” she said of the seniors. “They’re more understanding.”

Dartmouth High senior Tessa Napert said that she appreciates “all the effort” administrators and class leaders put into planning the graduation ceremony.

“The fact that they’re gonna let the seniors at least walk across the stage...They’ve put so much effort into that to make it as normal as possible,” she said.

“It's definitely strange, but I’m trying to make the best of it,” she added. “I’m trying to look at it as a positive of it's different, but in a good way. We’re doing something that no other class has done.”

As for the parade, Napert noted, “I’m actually really looking forward to it.”

Seniors and their families will be decorating their cars and gathering to see everyone in the graduating class — from a distance — one last time.

“The more used to the idea they get they’re more excited,” said Pires. “I know parents are going all out to decorate their cars.”

But the Class of 2020 would still rather have the traditional graduation, according to Pires. 

“I think a lot of us are just really disappointed, honestly,” she said. “I feel like our grade has definitely dealt with a lot — things are always changing for us.”

Compounding the issue for those graduating this spring are the many uncertainties that next year will bring, including college, jobs, and even what normal life will look like.

“It’s a very confusing time period for everyone,” Pires said. “This isn’t how my senior year was supposed to go. But I am making the best of the situation and I am going to do everything I can for my fellow classmates.”