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Students planning own graduation after UT cancels in-person ceremony

Parents are helping to raise money to host their own ceremony for students and believe it can be held safely.

TAMPA, Fla — A week after Tampa showed it could safely host a Super Bowl, students from the University of Tampa say they got a disappointing e-mail.   

The university was alerting seniors that their spring graduation ceremony would be held virtually instead of in-person as many had hoped for.

“I was furious,” said senior Emma Stange. “Then to hear that every other Florida university and all of the high schools in Hillsborough County are holding in-person graduations, that anger just built."

Stange, a marine sciences major, and some of her classmates were so upset they created a petition to send to university leaders and even reached out to Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to intervene.

So far, the University of Tampa has refused to budge on its plans for hosting an all virtual celebration.   

In the e-mail to students, the University President wrote, “given the continued uncertainty of COVID-19, advice from public health officials and rules governing large gatherings, the University could not realistically host a safe – yet meaningful -- academic celebration.”

But students and parents say Tampa and the NFL proved it was possible to safely host a large-scale event as long as sufficient safety measures were in place.

Students now say they are planning to host their own graduation ceremony.   A GoFundMe page has been set up with the goal of raising $6,000 to cover the venue and other expenses.

“We’re going to make this happen,” said Stange.   

A spokesperson for the University of Tampa sent us a written statement saying, “In regard to the parent/student 'alternate plans,' we are aware that there is discussion about an in-person, alternative commencement event. This event is not supported nor sponsored by The University of Tampa. Therefore, we are unable to ensure that this independent event follows the Spartan Shield Health Safety Plan or CDC regulations. Nor can we ensure the event will accurately represent or reflect the mission of the University.”

Students say they’ve gotten a great response from students wanting to participate in the alternate in-person graduation ceremony. Student organizers say of the 2,000 or so seniors scheduled to graduate, they’d like to get several hundred to participate in the in-person ceremony.

“We’ll do whatever we have to do to make it safe,” said Stange.

If the group organizing the event isn’t able to raise enough money to make the graduation happen, they say the proceeds will be donated to charity.

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