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Georgia State schedules second graduation ceremony

GSU grads who didn't get a chance to walk across the stage last week will get their chance on Sunday.
Image GSU

ATLANTA -- Georgia State University is holding another graduation ceremony for students whose original commencements were cut short by the threat of bad weather.

The exercise is scheduled for Sunday, May 20, at the GSU sports arena.

"This unique event for students who graduated last Thursday provides the opportunity for individual recognition, something that was not possible then because of the threat of lightning," the school said on Wednesday.

RELATED | 'You broke our dreams' | Georgia State grads demand redo after abbreviated ceremony

Threats of lighting forced what officials are calling an "abbreviated" ceremony on last week, which led to outrage from the students on social media.

During the original ceremony, GSU's president spoke and the students moved their tassels. But when the threat of lightning became clear, they were forced to cut the ceremony short, meaning no walk across the stage.

"We are deeply disappointed impending bad weather did not allow us to conduct the usual ceremony and individually recognize our outstanding graduates," the university said on it's Facebook account.

"No one knows how it feels to work so hard for something and to not have the moment to receive your due diligence!" Ra'Shad Johnson posted on their announcement. "It was done in such a nonchalant manner that left myself and the other graduates in disbelief."

He added that safety is important but that it should have been canceled when they had to leave earlier. Johnson and others are taking Georgia State to task over the decision and demanding a redo of the ceremony.

"There's no reason we should pay thousands of dollars to a university and not be acknowledged!" Monet Di'Ana said.

She said if safety was the concern, they shouldn't have been allowed to come out in the first place.

"You broke our dreams, it was a lack of respect," Jannette Salazar added.

The university's own policy for inclement weather states that the graduation is held "rain or shine" and will "only be rescheduled in the event of severe weather."

"It wasn't just a failure to 'individually recognize' us," Hannah Washington said. "We didn't have a ceremony at all! We weren't even able to get pictures because we were being told to leave right after."

Washington went on to suggest her graduation fees be refunded.

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