Campus was quiet on Saturday May 9—a day on which 8,460 degrees were conferred to UW-Madison students. With the global pandemic making it impossible to gather, UW held its first-ever “virtual commencement,” inviting students, families and friends to tune in at noon to watch a special Commencement 2020 video featuring remarks from speakers, including Chancellor Rebecca Blank, Provost Karl Scholz and best-selling author James Patterson. Viewing parties ensued around the globe.
L&S released its own virtual commencement celebration videos earlier that day, with appearances by interim dean Eric Wilcots, UW-Madison senior class president (and Letters & Science graduate) Lauren Sorensen, and PhD candidate (Chemistry) Stephanie Blaszczyk – plus congratulations from L&S faculty and staff and a video montage of beloved campus scenes. More than 2,600 of those receiving their degrees were Letters & Science undergraduate and graduate students.
"As an L&S graduate, you have the intellectual curiosity to pursue knowledge and research that can help solve the world’s most pressing problems, resiliency and a compassion for others that the world truly needs,” said Wilcots, wearing academic regalia and speaking to an empty room 260 in Bascom Hall, where his and other leaders’ remarks were filmed following best practices for physical distancing. “I encourage you to draw deeply on those lessons now.”
Sorensen filmed her remarks from home. Wearing her cap and gown, as well as a big smile, Sorensen reminded students that “there is so much more to our college experience than COVID-19. We are all Badgers. We all did it. Graduating from UW-Madison is certainly something to celebrate. And in that celebration, we are together.”
Blaszczyk shared her own journey to earning her PhD, including an unplanned pregnancy at age 18. “To say that being a single working mother was challenging would be an understatement,” she said. “Like many of you, I faced heartbreaks, hardships, self-doubt and mental health issues. But I discovered comfort within my department. I realized that it’s not the lakes, the city or the buildings that make UW-Madison feel like home. It’s the people in those buildings that are, and will always be, home for me.”
Social media lit up with congratulatory posts to graduates. Students were encouraged to share their own stories, videos and photos on social media, using the hashtag #UWGrad. The university collected them all here. Notable alumni, including soccer star Rose Lavelle, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and Tony Award-winning actor André De Shields, posted shout-outs here.
L&S Instagram, Twitter and Facebook posts used the #WeAreLS hashtag as well, when recognizing notable graduates and celebrating the accomplishments of all.
Some sadness was undeniable. On Friday evening, May 8 (the day before graduation), the UW Athletic Department lit up Camp Randall and the Kohl Center to honor graduates. Images of an empty stadium bathed in red light were a haunting reminder of a milestone that our campus has traditionally marked with crowds and togetherness.
But much joy was on display as well. Graduates found many ways to celebrate, in many different settings. And the support from alumni, faculty, staff and loved ones was overwhelming. To ease the sting of the last few months, the Wisconsin Union announced it would provide all graduates with lifetime memberships — a first in the association’s more than 110-year history. Additionally, the Wisconsin Alumni Association is giving graduates two free years of membership.
“The class of 2020 will always have a special place in our hearts,” declared philosophy professor Harry Brighouse, on camera from his study at home.
“Looking forward is more challenging this year,” Wilcots told students. “We are all wondering when we will get back to normal and even what 'normal' will look like. It is that uncertainty that is, perhaps, most challenging. But I urge you to look forward with the confidence that the degree that you have earned, regardless of your major, has prepared you to successfully grapple with that uncertainty.”