As printed by The Daily Herald
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Written by John Starks

Timothy Christian High School graduates had plenty of pomp to go with the unusual circumstance of their commencement Friday evening in Elmhurst.

The 84 seniors were originally invited to walk across the stage for their diplomas in a traditional ceremony with family and classmates watching, but the unpredictable pandemic took the ceremony away, just as it did the last weeks of their final year of school.

"I think they're just happy to be doing something," administrative assistant Barb Stoll said.

She was placing diplomas one-at-a-time on a table after disinfecting the area, as seniors lined up in the circle drive to the front door of the Elmhurst school to take their turn. Each student was able to take a photograph with their family while Pomp and Circumstance played on a nearby boom box and their image was live streamed. Students registered for a 20 minute time slot to spread the event over three hours to ensure social distancing. Everyone was required to wear a mask but were allowed to take them off for a family photo.

"This is a memory you'll never forget," said Superintendent Matt Davidson, who was wearing gray shorts to match his gray suitcoat and red tie. He repeated the phrase to more than one graduate as the night wore on.