For Mamaroneck High School seniors, graduation day is years in the making. But one thing remains outside their control: the weather.
The graduation ceremony at Mamaroneck High School has been held outside for many years on the baseball field. The ceremony can last for hours, so it is important that the audience is comfortable during this time in order to easily pay attention to the various speeches and each graduating student.
However, holding such a monumental ceremony outside poses various challenges. For one, weather is often unpredictable. In the event of rain or a storm, an outdoor ceremony limits organizers to only two options: rescheduling the ceremony or holding it in the rain. This poses another issue as it is impractical to reschedule such a ceremony. Many family members and friends have set aside time in their busy schedules to attend the ceremony and may be unable to attend on a different date. Graduates may also have summer plans beginning in June, and pushing the ceremony back may threaten their attendance. However, a ceremony held in the rain would not be a more ideal solution. Graduates and their families will be uncomfortable as they are soaked and barely able to see their graduates. Thus, they will be less likely to pay ample attention to the speeches, and may not have particularly fond memories of this day.
Even if there is no rain on graduation day, it still takes place during a particularly hot time of year. With it falling in June, it is not uncommon for graduation to be held on a day when the temperature reaches 80 or 90 degrees . Such heat can be incredibly uncomfortable for graduates and their guests. Megan Hurley, who will be in attendance at this year’s graduation ceremony, told The Globe, “I would prefer if graduation was somewhere that isn’t scorching hot because you have to sit there for a while. If it’s too hot, it can get very uncomfortable.” Graduation should be a happy memory, not something graduates look back on as uncomfortable.
Some may believe that a Mamaroneck graduation ceremony held on the baseball field is an important rite of passage and a tradition to uphold. Numerous classes have graduated in this very field, and continuing to hold ceremonies there ties current graduates to those before them. An outdoor graduation ceremony also allows students to commemorate their time at Mamaroneck High School at the school itself, in a place they have grown to love in the last four years.. While these are important points to consider, it is also necessary to remember that an outdoor ceremony could be ruined by unpredictable weather. Holding an indoor ceremony is a safer option, and graduates can still feel connected to the Mamaroneck community even if they are not physically on school property. Ultimately, it is the people that will make them feel connected: the friends, classmates, teachers, and faculty that have supported them throughout their journey. Graduates will remember these people and their loved ones, not where the ceremony was held.
To prevent future graduation ceremonies from being threatened by weather, it may be ideal to consider alternative options. There are many local community spaces, country clubs, and venues that can provide the graduating class with an indoor, low risk ceremony. This would require research and funds, but graduation is one of the most important events that MHS holds, and it deserves to receive adequate funding and attention.
Christina Mason (’27), who attended the class of 2025’s graduation ceremony last year, recalls, “It was kind of hard to pay attention because I was distracted by the heat.” Graduation should be remembered as a special day. We should not allow anything to take away from the palpable excitement among the graduating class.
