Neelin grad puts out positive vibes

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This article was published 29/06/2021 (1569 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon’s unusual graduation season continued to chug along on Monday, with members of École secondaire Neelin High School handing out diplomas to 116 students outside the Keystone Centre.

Similar to the Vincent Massey High School graduation ceremony that took place in the same location on Friday, Neelin officials opted to organize a “drive-thru” style event in accordance with the province’s latest health restrictions.

This format required students to queue up inside their family vehicles along the Keystone Centre’s new pavilion, where school administrators distributed diplomas, scholarships, yearbooks and other important documents at the end of the line.

Despite the brevity of each presentation, students still got the opportunity to accept their diploma in person and pose for photos in their emerald green regalia, leaving some time to reconnect with their friends in the adjacent parking lot.

This aspect was particularly important to Mackenzie Bell, who told the Sun that Monday marked the first time she has seen a lot of her friends and teachers in person since all K-12 schools in Brandon were shifted to remote learning in mid-May.

For Bell, this represents a sour end to a chaotic academic year, during which students her age had to constantly transition between in-person and remote learning based on the province’s COVID-19 case rate.

“Don’t take being in school for granted,” she said when asked to provide a parting piece of advice for forthcoming graduates. “It seems like it’s the worst place in the world, but once you’re out you’re really going to miss it and you’re going to want to go back.”

Despite a lingering sense of melancholy about what could have been, Monday’s ceremony emanated mostly positive vibes overall. Family members and friends relentlessly cheered and honked every time a new graduate ascended the outdoor stage to pick up their diploma.

To Neelin principal Susan Gilleshammer, this “drive-thru” setup was completely unlike anything she has experienced since the beginning of her Brandon School Division career in 2004.

“It feels like every grad has had their special cheering section,” she said “We’ve had boats and cowbells and all kinds of decorations and stuff, so it’s been really cool.”

Gilleshammer also mentioned how this year’s ceremony even represents a significant departure from what took place in June 2020, where graduating Neelin students were asked to physically distance inside the Keystone Centre’s Manitoba Room to pick up their diplomas.

“Last year the public health orders were a little bit different, so we’ve just been trying to stick within the restrictions that we have and make it as beautiful as possible,” she said. “The venue has been great and the Keystone (staff) have been wonderful to work with.”

While parent Shelli Ross was sceptical about whether this format could do her daughter’s big day justice, she admitted that the school’s commitment to providing a pleasing audio-visual presentation won her over in the end.

“Once you’re in it, in that lineup, and ready to graduate it’s a whole different feeling,” she said. “The way they set it up with the music and the names coming over the radio … we just really got into it and it got emotional.”

Graduating student Liam Dickie concurred with Ross’ sentiment, believing that this “drive-thru” format actually holds some advantages over a traditional graduation ceremony.

“You still get your grad, but you don’t have to sit through three hours of speeches,” he said.

Moving forward, Ross implores Manitoba students and parents to keep an open mind when it becomes their turn to take part in similar outdoor graduation ceremonies this summer, even if they’ve already had to endure a lot of changes throughout the past academic year.

“There is so much out of our control, so you really just have to seize the day and make the best of it,” she said. “And once you’re in that mindset, it’s all fine.”

Brandon’s 2021 high school graduation season will come to a close today, with Prairie Hope High School hosting its own convocation outside The Firehall event venue.

» kdarbyson@brandonsun.com

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