Virtual
Our lives have been transformed lately.
Things that we have done for years, and taken for granted, are now being done differently.
We connect with family and friends differently.
We learn, worship, celebrate, consume entertainment, and explore the world differently.
The word Virtual is defined as being almost or nearly as described, or almost a particular thing or quality. Oxford describes the origins as in the graphic below.
In many cases, the nature of what we are trying to achieve does not change: teach, learn, celebrate, support, enjoy, explore and so on. It may not be exactly the same. In some cases it is close, nearly, or almost. In some cases it misses the mark completely. In some cases it is just different — maybe even better!
Usage of the word has increased greatly in recent years, and my guess is that this has been especially true in the past few months. It seems that right now all of life has been impacted by the word Virtual.
Virtual Commencement
This past Saturday was a historic day at WVWC. The first ever Virtual Commencement happened. It was obvious that doing things as they are usually done was not possible. Travel was not possible for families, and groups over 25 people were not permitted as per orders from the governor.
With creativity, interaction, and keeping the goals of celebration and interactivity in mind, I think that this virtual effort was successful. Parts of it were really nice! The nature of the college and the celebration of the graduates were captured very well. There were no limits on tickets, no hard bleachers for families to sit on for hours, and it is all available to watch again if you’d like! Later in the day, graduates were sharing the link and other photos from the event with family and friends. The celebration that was happening in all of the comments were not Virtual. They were very real!
Click here to watch the recording.
It was almost as described. The essence of the celebration was strong. While not what most graduates and their families had envisioned, it did a great job of including participation and celebrating relationships. Students were invited to submit photos from their college years. Many submitted photos with friends, faculty, groups, teams, or activities that had been especially meaningful to them. Some chose not to submit photos, and that was ok too. Various campus folks included short video congratulations.
The ceremony ended, as it does in person, with the singing of My Home Among the Hills. But this time, the choir members sang it together while apart. The tears that came to my eyes were not virtual. My eyes were a bit moist. Click here to watch it — over and over again if you’d like!