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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
A NEW graduation culture for graduates not attending the main event has emerged as they gather in various platforms to celebrate completing their studies.

Institutions of higher learning have been conducting hybrid graduation ceremonies as part of the Covid-19 prevention measures.

This is an extension of the physical and online lectures that institutions have adopted since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since the start of the graduation season at the end of October only a handful of graduates have been physically attending graduation ceremonies presided by President Mnangagwa who is also the Chancellor of all State universities

Students who graduate with first class degrees, prize winners and a selected few attend the main event while the rest follow proceedings off campus.

Graduates have described a graduation ceremony as a day of jubilation following years of studies and hence it would be amiss for them to graduate behind closed doors at home.

Graduates from local universities who fail to make it to campus have therefore been converging at various venues with their peers just to mark the day.

Bulawayo among other parts of the country has been a hive of activities as graduates converge in various venues to celebrate their graduation.

Wayne Ncube from MSU who graduated with an Honours Degree in Media and Society Studies said as graduates they wanted to feel as if they attended the main event for sentimental value.

“We were live streaming the event from Hartsfield Tshisanyama while others were at Nesbitt Castle. We had to make it feel as if we were attending the main event.

We watched the proceedings virtually before we had lunch and had a photo session with family and friends as we tried to imitate the main event,” said Mr Ncube, who is uMthunywa correspondent.

He said the graduation ceremony was in sync with their struggles following the outbreak of Covid-19 that disrupted normal learning.

Mr Mandisi Ndlovu who graduated with an Honours Degree in Media and Society Studies at the same institution said:

“A graduation ceremony is a ritual that is conducted upon completion of studies and had  to celebrate this moment even if we were conducting it virtually. University has its own struggles from the time you enrol to the end of studies.

It is the last thing we have to do with our colleagues before we pursue our careers.”

Miss Andile Dlamini, who graduated with a Development Studies degree also at MSU said it was important that they come together and create memories after four years of studies.

“We had a lot of challenges that we had to deal with during our studies. This day is important as it is a confirmation that we conquered a lot of struggles, especially after our studies were disrupted by Covid-19 and we had to resort to conducting online lessons.

We are moving to our next chapter and we hope Government can create opportunities for us so that we can apply our skills,” said Miss Dlamini.

Another graduate, Miss Gail Makulumo said while the virtual ceremony is informal, it created a lot of mixed emotions for graduates as they recounted their struggles.

“We would have wished to graduate as a group but we had to adjust to the new normal. However, graduating virtually enabled us to do a photoshoot which is good for creating memories.

We also paid for the venue and meals. So, I parted with US$30 to be part of the graduation,” said Miss Makulumo. — @nqotshili