University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce gives a commencement speech at the UW’s first-ever virtual ceremony, with students and families watching via livestream. (UW Video screenshot)

For better or worse, it was a commencement like no other.

The University of Washington held its first-ever virtual graduation ceremony in nearly 160 years this past weekend, adapting with the help of technology to celebrate the achievements of its students amid the global pandemic and social distancing mandates.

The UW turned to tech tools such as video conferencing software and motion graphics editing to host a three-hour livestream production on Saturday that honored the Class of 2020.

“I can see you on the monitors and it’s almost as if we were together again,” UW President Ana Mari Cauce said on the stream, speaking from a ceremony setup at Sylvan Grove on the UW campus in Seattle. “We miss you.”

Led by UW Director of Ceremonies Sara Griggs, the university came up with creative ideas to simulate the commencement experience for students and their families watching from home. It gathered nearly 7,000 photos of each graduate and applied graphics tricks to show the students with virtual caps in a Star Wars scrolling-type fashion.

The production also featured various live video streams from students and families inside their homes. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee made a brief appearance in a pre-recorded message. The Husky Band played the school’s fight song, and students from the UW’s School of Music sung the national anthem.

No UW event is complete without an appearance from Dubs, the school’s Alaskan Malamute mascot. The UW worked with creative production firm Jonas & Company to create a cool animation of Dubs “spinning” a UW seal that turned into a globe and helped kick off the ceremony.

Cara Podenski, managing executive producer for UW Video, said the virtual production was a much harder undertaking than filming the usual ceremony.

“For that show, we have an formula down and we know what is coming,” she said. “But this year with COVID-19 and constantly having to flex for big changes, all teams worked 60-plus hours per week to pull this off.”

Podenski said it was well worth the effort, particularly since it made the students and their families happy.

“We had many come down to the Grove afterwards thanking us and praising it as the best virtual ceremony they had seen,” she said. “It surely made our tired, socially-distant masked crews feel grateful for being involved in such an amazing historic event. Now that we have done it, we learned a lot and know how best to pull this off if we ever need to in the future.”

In some ways, the virtual event was advantageous, allowing families from across the world to participate in the commencement experience from the comfort of their home. For those that live nearby, fighting traffic up and down Interstate 5 and finding parking on campus can be a serious struggle. The rain was pouring on Saturday in Seattle as well, which wouldn’t have been too pleasant at Husky Stadium.

But of course, nothing can replace the feeling of hugs, high-fives, and walking across the stage to grab your diploma at a traditional graduation. The UW is inviting the Class of 2020 back to campus next year for a normal commencement ceremony.

In her speech to students, Cauce said much is expected of this generation given the current challenges in the world. She expressed optimism that the Class of 2020 has what it takes to create lasting impact on the world.

“You are graduating at an extremely difficult but also fortuitous time … the opportunity for the greatest change arises precisely during periods of turmoil, when all equilibrium is thrown off quilter,” she said. “As hard as that moment is, it can also serve a purpose. Let it give you the focus and courage to demand and create a change in our society. Let it strengthen your resolve into something so unshakable, so undeniable, that the world will be forced to reckon with it.”

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