As I greeted students walking across the commencement stage to receive their diplomas in May, I felt a great sense of pride as well as relief. It’s good to be back, I thought to myself.
Of course, there was still evidence of the pandemic that forced us to empty campus in the first place. The students were socially distanced on the track field, with only two guests allowed. We all remained masked. And instead of handshakes, I congratulated our Class of 2021 with elbow bumps.