Shontay Newsome has waited for the day she could walk across the stage and receive her college degree from Prairie View A&M University. She rose early on graduation day, May 13, headed to PV, and encountered what she calls the worst experience of her life.
“I cannot even begin to explain how PV dropped the ball and ruined this moment for myself, along with the other graduates,” Newsome said. “A moment that we all worked so hard for, that our family and loved ones traveled from different cities and states to celebrate, that was supposed to be so special, a moment that we can NEVER get back…was absolutely ruined by PV’s poor decision-making due to the weather.”
PV officials say they had been monitoring the weather all week. At one point, they decided to move commencement from the field to the “Baby Dome.” After student protest, they moved it back outside since they say the forecast only called for light rain. However, early Saturday morning, a storm ensued, prompting administration to delay commencement and move it back inside, which meant only a fraction of the guests could attend.
The pounding rain exacerbated parking, and families found themselves immobile in traffic for hours.
“The police directing traffic did a horrible job, on top of being extremely rude. Traffic was so backed up from families trying to find parking for the graduation. It made me THREE HOURS late to my own graduation. I headed out to the graduation at 6:30a.m. from Katy and I didn’t even arrive on campus until 10a.m. Unbelievable,” Newsome said.
Families, many of whom had traveled from out of town, were in tears as they were forced to watch the graduation via live stream on their cell phones in the car, as they waited in traffic. Many of those that did make it through, including the elderly, were forced to stand outside of the Baby Dome in the pouring rain after officials stopped allowing people in because of fire code issues.
“This is absolutely, positively the worst experience for these graduates. How dare Prairie View A&M University allow this to happen?” said parent Kimberly Belton-Smith. “Common sense says DO NOT PLAN to have the commencement ceremony outside. Stop being so cheap and pay for a venue that will accommodate all graduates and guests. People are literally standing outside in the pouring rain AND lightning. To see these young people in their nice attire and shoes in hand, running in the rain, is just awful. Sad…sad…sad. And STOP trying to use the darn mini dome. The name is MINI so it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that it WILL NOT accommodate the graduates.”
Graduates were heartbroken as many say they weren’t acknowledged by the administration, names were randomly called and many missed the event altogether.
“This graduation was totally unacceptable. My child, along with other graduates, worked extremely hard and did not get a chance to walk across the stage. I’m totally disappointed in how PV handled this whole inclement weather issue. Six tickets were issued out to each graduate on Friday IF the weather was bad and not one ticket was used. Also we sat in traffic for 2.5 hrs for my daughter to still MISS her graduation. Something should be done for the graduates that missed their graduation. SO, SO SAD,” said Dana Dockery, whose daughter Khyllia Barnes graduated with a Master of Science Accounting degree.
Contrary to what many believed, the university says they did have a contingency plan. But a storm of issues upended an event that had been months in planning.
“We are truly disappointed that such an important milestone in the life of a college student was interrupted by an extreme shift in weather conditions,” said Acting President Dr. Michael McFrazier. “We acknowledge the anger and frustration graduates and their guests are experiencing. Be assured that the University administration is reviewing all aspects (venues, parking, etc.) of conducting commencement at PVAMU and will develop a plan to improve the execution of the ceremony to ensure a positive, joyous experience for graduates, parents, friends, and visitors.”
Let the People Be Heard …
More people weigh in on the graduation fiasco
“It was ridiculous. I didn’t get to make it in to see my child walk. We made the best of it and moved on. I just hope for the future it’s better planned out. I wouldn’t want the next graduating class or their parents to experience what we did. I’m just glad it’s over.”
Dionne Furgerson
“Absolutely HORRIBLE experience and the WORST graduation I’ve ever attended!!!!!!”
Chris Parrish
They did not plan accordingly, especially for the weather. It took my friend two hours to get onto the campus. There were no traffic cops. They decided after it was storming to move the ceremony into the Baby Dome after it was supposed to be on the field. Dome wasn’t big enough so had overflow in the Rec Center. Seems like they didn’t put together a bad weather contingency plan or either it wasn’t a good one. Emotions were high. They called out the names not by school but by however you lined up so you may have missed your student’s name if you weren’t listening. It was a whole mess!
S. Lynn Scott
I think it was a good idea that they postponed the start time because traffic was horrible and it was raining badly. People needed time to finally make it on campus, park, and then walk long distances to where the graduation took place. I almost didn’t get in because they stopped allowing people to enter the dome at one point due to the fire code. I ended up in the overflow room in a second gym, where we could only see the ceremony but not hear it for several minutes due to technical difficulties. We missed the beginning and all of Dr. Simmons’ speech. However, everything was up and running by the time the graduates were called to receive their degrees. The graduates were not in alphabetical order, so it was hard to know when to look for whoever you were there to support. Luckily, the graduates had cards, with their information on them. They handed them to the announcer as they randomly approached the stage. How some of the scholars acted as they walked across the stage is a story by itself. Some of them (mainly Greeks) turned what should have been a dignified ceremony into a sideshow. They stomped, danced and twerked across the stage to receive their degrees. Some did whole routines and came out of stoles, cords, and caps. One young lady even bent over in front of the president of PV’s face and twerked. It was shameful. No decorum whatsoever! I was very shocked that the university allowed this kind of behavior at the commencement. I assume it was hard to accommodate the crowd on the inside because the limited number of tickets per graduate rule was not enforced and there were more than 900 graduates. The place was busting at the seams with people. I can’t imagine if I was a parent of one of the graduates but couldn’t get in. I would’ve been livid.
Noelle Green-Anderson
Arrival time given by my goddaughter was 6:45a.m. to ensure good parking and for 7:30a.m. gate to open, for 8a.m. ceremony… The monsoon in Waller had other plans! Stood in the line outside the stadium for an hour in the rain, gates opened for everyone to stand under the bleachers in rain!! Then, I got a call from my goddaughter’s mother to follow the graduates to the Baby Dome to wait inside for another hour and some change for now a late start…10a.m. So we’re now two hours behind schedule, graduates still graduated but in random order and with parents/loved ones in overflow areas watching a screen, unfortunately. It was unfortunate there was a lack of a weather contingency plan, but they pivoted the best they could, I guess. But I have never seen a conveyor belt of graduates before.
Ayanna Hill
I watched it online also definitely not the same. We will never get that moment back. It should have been a better plan in place.
Veronica Alexander
Congratulations to PVAMU graduates! In spite of the weather, celebrate this accomplishment. It’s sad that PV has been the best until now and parents want to bash the school! You take it to a place that then causes everyone to pay for parking, then that becomes an issue! All things work out how it’s supposed to, so keep being that great institution that so many have children and relatives that have attended.
William Clark
I am PV Alumni – Class of 95 and I’m sad to say that still in 2023 PV has dropped the ball. Parking is already horrible here, yet there were plenty of spaces in the old Hobart Taylor parking lot, but you wouldn’t allow people to drive down to. My sister had my elderly father in the car with her to see his granddaughter graduate and really just wanted to let him out closer yet you made them park way up across the street at the elementary/middle school and walk in the rain, getting soaked. Shame on you PV. Ashamed to say I’m Alumni here. Here we are almost 30 years later and still dropping the ball. We have to do better, point blank period.
Teresa Jernigan Jones
For what they, PV, had to work with, I think it went off as well as could’ve been for the circumstances. I’ll send my letter on June 1, when the new president starts BUT please post your letter & the parents letters to administration with date and time stamp in here once sent. Then we can continue this conversation… nothing will get fixed on social media.
Donna Gee
