The Honors and Awards Ceremony for Howard University’s College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences took place at Cramton Auditorium in D.C., but the venue proved to be too small for the number of supporters who showed up for the graduates. Video captured the chaotic scene as family and friends of the graduates demanded to be let in, ultimately causing one person to sustain a minor cut when a visitor accidentally broke a front door pane while leaning on it. The ceremony was abruptly disrupted as guests were dispersed following the incident.
The event, which did not require tickets and could accommodate an estimated 3-4 attendees per graduate, ended in chaos as overcrowding became a significant issue. The disruption led to emergency medical services assisting the person who was injured, adding to the chaos that unfolded. Some graduates shared their disappointment, with one student revealing she did not get to walk during her high school graduation in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and also did not get to walk after graduating from Howard University magna cum laude.
The DC fire department confirmed it did not shut down the event, emphasizing that every venue has a capacity limit which was exceeded at Cramton Auditorium. In response to the overcrowding issue, the university invited guests to join Saturday’s commencement convocation via livestream and announced plans to formally recognize the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences graduates at the Capital One Arena the following day. A similar experience was reported during the College of Engineering and Architecture ceremony, where people were left out in the rain due to capacity issues.
A Howard University spokesperson attributed the unique challenges of this graduation season to the largest graduating class ever and students attracting larger crowds after missing out on high school graduations in 2020. The spokesperson noted that capacity issues during individual college ceremonies had not been a problem in the past, but the situation this year was exceptional. The university took steps to rectify the situation by moving the recognition of graduates to a larger venue and provided alternative options for guests to participate in the celebration.
The incident at Cramton Auditorium highlighted the challenges faced by educational institutions in managing large crowds during graduation events, especially during an unprecedented year like 2021. The chaos that ensued due to overcrowding and capacity issues serves as a reminder of the importance of adequate planning and coordination to ensure a smooth and safe experience for graduates and their families. Moving forward, universities and colleges may need to reassess their event planning strategies to better accommodate the growing number of attendees and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
Overall, the disruptive incident at Howard University’s College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences honors and awards ceremony shed light on the impact of overcrowding and capacity issues at graduation events, leading to the need for alternate arrangements to recognize and celebrate the achievements of graduates. Despite the challenges faced, the university took proactive measures to address the situation and ensure that graduates were appropriately acknowledged in a more suitable setting. This experience serves as a learning opportunity for educational institutions to enhance their event planning practices and better prepare for large gatherings in the future.
