On Saturday, the University of
Michigan held online commence-
ment activities in place of the can-
celled Spring Commencement due
to COVID-19.
The online activities included
a recorded message posted on the
commencement page from Uni-
versity President Mark Schlissel,
Interim Provost Susan M. Collins
and the deans.
“Yes, these are turbulent times,”
Collins said. “But smooth seas do
not make the most skillful sailors.
You are ready to put your many tal-
ents to work in a world that truly
needs your energy and your ideas.”
Former Vice President Al Gore
and American playwright Domi-
nique Morrisseau, the previously
planned commencement speakers,
gave speeches, and alumni and
coaches created congratulatory
videos.
“I do believe these are the times
that show us who we are and what
we’re really made of,” Morrisseau
said. “I look forward to seeing
how this is going to impact you all,
the future, a generation of future
global citizens and how this will
inspire you to make amazing glob-
al impact and change — positive
change — that this world is going
to need.”
There
were
also
recorded
performances by the Michigan
Marching Band and the Men’s and
Women’s Glee Clubs.
In an effort to bring the celebra-
tion to social media, a “virtual
maize out” invited people to post
pictures wearing maize and blue
with the hashtag “#MGoGrad.”
Themed Facebook frames, Snap-
chat lenses, Giphy stickers and
Zoom backgrounds were created
as graduation-themed methods for
the campus community to interact
through social media platforms.
Schools, colleges and other
groups across campus also shared
links to their graduation celebra-
tions on the commencement page.
LSA had a recorded message from

LSA Dean Anne Curzan, as well
as links to departmental celebra-
tions.
“When I think of you, the grad-
uates of 2020, the words that come
to mind are resilience, care for
each other and for this remark-
able place that we call LSA and
commitment to your education,”
Curzan said. “You all have grit and
you get to know that as you move
forward.”
The School of Music, Theatre &
Dance had a message from Music,
Theatre & Dance Dean Dave Gier,
along with an interactive digital
program showcasing work from
graduating students. There were
faculty and alumni congratula-
tions, as well as a performance of
“The Victors” by graduating musi-
cal theatre students.
The Ross School of Business
was one of the few groups to hold
a livestream event in celebration,
which was recorded and posted for
those who could not attend live.
The event was held via Zoom and
included speakers such as Michi-
gan alum Brad Keywell, founder of
Groupon.
“We are here as one family, con-
nected, and that’s what really mat-
ters,” Keywell said. “Even though
we can’t be together in person,
what we’re doing is reflective of
the Michigan way. We are taking
lemons and we are making deli-
cious lemonade.”
Despite all the online content
and certain departments holding
live events, there was no holistic
live component to the commence-
ment celebrations put on by the
University, which some students
found disappointing. LSA senior
Lizzy Irvin viewed some of the
videos Saturday morning, includ-
ing the video posted by Curzan,
and planned to watch more of the
videos with her parents in the eve-
ning.
“I think they did a good job with
what they covered,” Irvin said.
“But, I wish there would have been

3

Thursday, May 7, 2020
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com NEWS

Remote learning has given all
University of Michigan students
the opportunity to take classes
this spring and summer without
residing in Ann Arbor. However,
for Public Health junior Maddie
Malvitz, that meant 50 students
in front of her on the waitlist for
Chem 230.
Malvitz, on a pre-med track,
had been planning to take Chem
230 this spring before COVID-19,
but since the class has filled for
both the upcoming spring and fall
semesters, she had difficulties
with the rest of her course plan-
ning.
“I emailed Angie Cox (the
undergraduate program coordi-
nator in chemistry), and she said,
‘Even if you get on the waitlist
(for Pchem), you probably won’t
get into the class because there’s
50 people ahead of you,’” Malvitz
said. “I just got into the School of
Public Health, and I have required
classes to take (in the winter
semester) only offered at one time,
and it’s stressful to fit Pchem in
with that.”

Malvitz worries that if she can-
not fit Chem 230 into her schedule
next year, she may have to post-
pone taking the Medical College
Admission Test and applying to
medical school.
“There is a lot of planning for
when people take (the MCAT),”
Malvitz said. “It just sucks that
there’s so few options (to take
Chem 230) and the University
isn’t able to accommodate your
classes.”
LSA junior Sesilia Kammo was
also originally on the Chem 230
waitlist for the spring, but decided
to replace the course with Phys-
ics 135 because 34 students were
ahead of her.
“I definitely think it was a lot
more stressful because I’ve taken
STEM classes before and the wait-
lists have never looked like this
for them,” Kammo said. “I was
number 35 on the waitlist and it
wasn’t a very realistic place to be
in and I’d rather take a class I’m
more likely to get off the waitlist
for.”
Students from a variety of
majors spoke to The Daily about
facing limited class capacities and
long waitlists. According to the
LSA Course Guide for spring and
summer, EECS 203 has 52 stu-
dents on the waitlist; MATH 214
has 16 students on the waitlist and
PHYSICS 235 has 30 students on
the waitlist, among others.
LSA junior Ainesh Shintre is

double majoring in economics and
film, television and media, and
planned on taking spring cours-
es for the additional credits he
needs to graduate on time. Shin-
tre said he was originally wait-
listed for FTVM 352. He said the
Department of Film, Television
and Media decided to open a new
section to accommodate the long
waitlist.
“The classes just filled up fast-
er than usual,” Shintre said. “… I
really wanted to take this class
during this term, so I’m glad they
opened a new section for us.”
Since classes are conducted
online, Kammo said it can be dif-
ficult for students to understand
why courses cannot accommodate
more students.
“I also don’t know how the
number of students affects the
professor and all that,” Kammo
said. “From the student’s perspec-
tive, it can be hard to understand
because there is no physical seat
constraint.”
LSA senior Jonah Eisenberg
said many students confuse the
capacity of the class with the
physical capacity of a lecture hall
holding a set number of students.
He said the capacity actually is
in place for the instructors and
Graduate Student Instructors to
have enough time to interact with

Long online course waitlists
frustrates community

SAINI KETHIREDDY
Daily Staff Reporter

Design by Christine Jegarl

‘U’ honors class
of 2020 online

IULIA DOBRIN
Daily Staff Reporter

Read more at michigandaily.com
Read more at michigandaily.com

Videos from speakers and performances shared
virtually to celebrate new graduates

Students express
concerns about
graduating on time