Taipei American School | 800 Chung Shan N. Rd., Section 6, Taipei, Taiwan | blueandgoldonline.org | VOLUME XXVII, ISS. 02 | May 21, 2021
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Prom canceled a few days prior By Katherine Ma (‘24, she/her) and Abby Chang (‘24, she/her) Taipei American School’s prom is canceled again this year, due to government regulations regarding the new surge in COVID-19 coronavirus cases in Taiwan. As of May 11, indoor gatherings with more than 100 people are strictly prohibited. Especially because prom includes socializing, dinner and dancing, it would be difficult to follow COVID-19 regulations. Prior to this announcement, much of the prom preparations had already been prepared and ready to go. “We literally had the menu set, the vendor, all of our material was just sewed yesterday to be finished for prom,” Dr. Daniel Long (he/him), the upper school dean of students, said. “We have prom-specific masks that we ordered that arrived today [5/12/21] and we were renting some equipment, photographers, backdrops. Everything was set.” It is only understandable that students feel disappointed at the cancellation of prom this year. Going into this school year, many seniors were excited for their graduation and prom, with Taiwan’s COVID-19 situation under control. Having been appointed as co-prom head for two years in a row and having prom cancelled for both years, Melissa Chang (‘21, she/her) is also disappointed by the turn in events. “Prom was something all the seniors have been looking forward to all year,” Melissa said. “It is also really sad because prom is one of those big events that define senior year and now it’s something that we’ll never be able to experience.” However, the cancellation of prom did not stop students from finding alternative ways to celebrate. To substitute for the cancelled prom, some students brought their prom outfits to school and wore them for pictures on Friday, May 14. “I thought that it was really nice being able to come to school, dress up, and take photos with your friends; it was a better sweet ending for the seniors for sure,” Sabrina Hsu (‘21, she/her) said. Other students also made up for the cancelled prom by hanging out with friends after school. “We’re as disappointed as anyone would be when this kind of thing [prom] gets canceled, but it’s out of our hands; we don’t really have an option, Dr. Long said.
ILLUSTRATION BY: PHOEBE CHEN
Graduation to be moved online amidst COVID-19 outbreak By Nicole Chang (‘21, she/her)
Amidst the most recent COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak in Taiwan, the Taipei American School Upper School administration decided to pivot from inperson graduation to a virtual ceremony. As of May 18, there have been 2260 confirmed cases in Taiwan, including more than 1,100 local cases of COVID-19. The Taiwan Central Epidemic Control Center (CECC) had to raise warning levels for Taipei City and New Taipei City to Level Three on May 15, strengthening restrictions and preventative measures to control the spread of the pandemic. These
measures will be in full effect until May 28. Seniors will definitely be celebrating an unconventional graduation this year due to the pandemic. Last year, the Class of 2020 celebrated their graduation on the Lower Field and were able to invite one parent to attend. However, with new Level Three restrictions, this is not possible. On May 12, New Taipei Mayor Hou You-yi announced that graduation ceremonies be moved online as gatherings of over five people indoors and of over ten people outdoors are prohibited. Although the
administration has not announced further plans, graduation is to be held virtually this year. On May 19, senior students were asked to pick up their graduation gown and cap as well as their diplomas in the Bus Parking Lot at school. Seniors were asked to take individual photos wearing their gaps and gowns while holding their diplomas, and these photos are to be included in a graduation video. Although this was not the typical graduation that many seniors had been expecting as various senior traditions did not take place this school year in-person,
many feel grateful to be celebrating this milestone. “[Graduation] is an end to the past twelve years of education, from primary school to high school,” Kai Yuan Mor (‘21) (he/him) said. “It marks an end to our childhood, and a beginning to adulthood and more responsibilities.” Other seniors also share this sentiment. “Graduation is important because it’s not only a finale to our high school careers but also a recognition of the start of the next chapter of our lives,” Lucy Kim (‘21) (she/ her) said. More information regarding graduation plans will be released soon.