In the wake of the pandemic, and in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Antonine University (UA) held a socially distant outdoor graduation ceremony, on July 29, 2021, at 7:30 PM, at the football stadium of the main campus in Hadat-Baabda. This convivial and solemn event, aimed at honoring the Class of 2021 that included graduates of all disciplines and campuses, brought together eminent personalities, among whom were Mr. Karim Najjar, a representative of the Raymond and Aida Najjar Foundation, Mr. Georges Aoun, President of the Hadat Municipality, Fr. Michel Jalakh, UA’s Rector, in the company of the Vice-Rectors, Deans, Directors, Faculty members and administrative personnel, besides the graduates’ family and friendship circles members.

The UA’s choir, under the baton of Fr. Toufic Maatouk, first sang the national anthem, after which Ms. Hanane Merhej, master of ceremony, gave her speech and invited the valedictorian Perla El Sabbagh, a Dental Laboratory Technology student at the Faculty of Public Health, to deliver her speech on behalf of the student body. According to Perla, and strangely enough, fascination and perplexity both arise from such monumental moments, which mark the culmination of years of joint efforts made by Antonine Order monks, faculty, administrative staff and parents, whose unwavering support paved the way to students’ academic success. In the face of mounting risks and uncertainties, she urged her colleagues to maintain vigilance, to refrain from sinking into discouragement, and to demonstrate a firm determination to break down barriers that get in their way, even though they were deeply impacted by the daily challenges they encountered during the year. As they prepare to leave behind the university experience, she reminded them that they must be the flag-bearers of UA values which they should be committed to translate into action to help UA radiate throughout the world.

When the Rector took the floor, he began his address by pointing out the happy coincidence that the Commencement ceremony is taking place within the year during which the UA’s 25th anniversary was celebrated. Nevertheless, he found it odd to burry one’s head in the sand and ignore the crisis that has raged for too long and has engulfed the country. Speaking to the graduates, he asked them the following question: "What is a crisis?", the latter becoming a “widely used” term. This philosophical question pertains to the essence of the crisis that should be captured. In this context, the Rector stressed that this crisis goes beyond the limits of problems arising in specific circumstances and requiring ad hoc solutions. On the contrary, he observed that the crisis is indeed a threat that weighs heavily on society, and causes a lack of awareness regarding the scale of damage. In view of this situation, it has become important, according to him, to turn one’s gaze towards the multifaceted role of education, which consists of learning during and from the crisis. This allows the principals and instructors to draw lessons for the future and take into their own hands the responsibility to think together with students about the impact that such learning would have on their daily life and their social integration. The Rector went on to describe people’s tendency to look to their leaders for actions and solutions. He also recalled the famous episode in the gospels, where the apostles panicked as they found themselves caught in a storm, woke Jesus up, the person whom they trust and who is expected to be able to come to their aid and protect them. This gives rise to the following implicit question: How can a leader be recognized?

In response to this question, Fr. Jalakh underlined that "the true leaders are those who manage to do what it takes to allow a return to normality". The leader is thus distinguished by his foresight, coupled with the move to action. It goes without saying that not all leaders fit this profile, especially that they never tire of blaming themselves and lose sight of national interests. With that said, the Rector advised the young graduates to refocus on themselves, develop a sense of solidarity, and have each one of them ask him/herself this Kantian question: "What must I do?”, to which an appropriate answer should be provided. For him, the resilience prompts each person to take care of others and alleviate their hardship and suffering, same as Simon of Cyrene, the man who carried Jesus’ cross. In the midst of the fears that assail them, vulnerable people can still bring out the full potential that lies dormant in them, and thus turn away from sadness and gloom. In addition, the Rector pointed out that the masks always fall off, and “here we are face to face with the truth”. It is obvious that the collapse of everything force people to awaken themselves from dreaming and try to get rid of alienation. And to quote Pope Francis: "We cannot emerge from a crisis the same as before: we either come out better or we come out worse". The Rector finally called upon the graduates, whose mission is to support Lebanon, make this appeal: "Rise, take up your bed, and walk" (John 5: 8), and hear the reassuring words of the Lord: "Take heart, I have overcome the world. (John 16:33).

Following these speeches, merit scholarships and medals of honor were awarded to a number of graduates, among whom was the valedictorian of valedictorians Patrick Dagher, from the Department of Physical Therapy, who demonstrated academic excellence throughout the current year. In addition, the “Raymond Najjar” excellence award was given to the engineering student Lara Kassouf, who received the sum of $15,000 for her meritorious achievements. UA is thankful for the contribution of the donator, which will leave a lasting footprint in the winners’ lives. Moreover, it is well known that UA is an institution whose first priorities are to keep creating a supportive environment for its students to constantly learn, develop their skills and flourish, and to instill courage in their hearts to pursue their dreams, no matter what the circumstances are. To fulfill these objectives, UA was extremely delighted to amaze its students with the competition that was launched by its Vice-Rectorate for Integral Human Development, an initiative that has lifted students’ spirit, especially those who had to endure emotionally distressing events. In reality, full scholarships were granted by the aforementioned Vice-Rectorate to three winners, namely Karen Achkar, Mahmoud Al Fata, and Rita Jabbour, to enable them to pursue their master’s degrees at UA and therefore climb the ladder of success.

After such glorious and touching moments, Ms. Maya Nohra, Director of the Department of Dental Laboratory Technology, and Mr. Tony Reaidy, Administrative Director of the Nabi Ayla-Zahle Campus, took over from the master of ceremony respectively and called the graduates names, an honor that carries with it an immeasurable excitement. They offered closing thoughts when diplomas were handed to all graduates. The graduation ceremony included a musical interlude: "Con te Partiro” (Time to say Goodbye) that was performed by the graduate Charles Eid, an engineering student and a member of UA Choir.

The countdown began, and it all ended with a Mexican wave and streamers throwing: A pure exhilaration!