Hybrid education: a bane or a blessing?
After waiting a long time in hope for Covid-19 to pack up her suitcase and leave, Brac University’s 14th Convocation ceremony ultimately was not put on hold for longer, taking place online on January 27th.
In an eccentric fashion, BracU had conducted the handover of the scrolls on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor to the graduates on camera by their parents or guardians, uniformed in uttorio. During this virtual event, the graduates had to dress in the strait-laced manner of convocation gowns and caps. Sheersho Zaman (CSE, Alumnus) remarks, “To not get to see your peers in person, dressed in the same shades of blue is definitely regrettable.”
The trend of online presentations dictates that one is often passing off a dupatta as a saree by draping it as such, or wearing shorts instead of pants while only their top half is suited up. The stories of the online convocation mostly remained the same, as the graduates sat tight in front of their respective devices, watching the night of the dreams of every university student, taking quite a leap into an unconventional direction. Nonetheless, graduates were pleased that BracU arranged an official send-off commemorating this academic milestone despite the challenges.
While the trying times of the pandemic are indeed asking people for many sacrifices, one thing to be grateful for of course is how our lives are in motion. These days, even an online convocation is better than none at all.
