Whitman’s administrative team announced to students and families on Oct. 3 that the school’s graduation ceremony will move from Constitution Hall to the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). The change affects all MCPS high schools, as the district shifts senior graduation ceremonies to UMBC to ensure adequate parking and seating regardless of weather conditions and to reduce costs.
In previous years, traffic and parking have been concerns for families attending the ceremonies at the hall, located in downtown Washington D.C. The venue’s central location on the National Mall contributes to increased traffic.
Senior Sicilia Edson said traffic made it difficult for her family to arrive on time to her brother’s graduation at the hall last year.
“My parents almost didn’t get into the ceremony because of the time it took to find parking,” Edson said. “There was a lot of congestion [around the hall].”
UMBC is located outside Baltimore’s city center and has more private parking available for visitors. MCPS moved the ceremony hoping for smoother transportation and more accessible parking for all attendees.
MCPS negotiated with UMBC to lower the price and will cover the venue cost. The Whitman Administrative team said this will substantially reduce expenses for schools and families.
Before MCPS high school graduation ceremonies moved to Constitution Hall in 2024, schools hosted their own ceremonies. Whitman held its ceremonies on the football field.
Senior Diego Espinoza attended his sister’s graduation at Whitman’s football field in 2023 and said he hopes the location change to UMBC will alleviate the parking hassle.
“A lot of cars were piled up on the streets of Whittier, and so was the parking lot as well as the baseball field lot,” Espinoza said. “I’m excited to see how this year’s ceremony will turn out.”
The venue change means a longer trip for Whitman families. While Constitution Hall is 5.9 miles away from the school, UMBC is 30 miles away in Baltimore County. Some students, including Edson, are worried about the distance and post-ceremony plans.
“It’s far, around an hour away,” Edson said. “All the seniors last year took photos at the monuments after the ceremony, but there’s not much to do at UMBC.”
With the increased distance from past graduations at Whitman and D.C., some students are voicing concerns that the ceremony may feel detached from their school.
Senior Sham Mathavan said that while UMBC is in Maryland, it feels less centralized than Constitution Hall, but he still expects it to be a memorable moment.
“All the times I’ve gone, it’s been at Constitution Hall, and all of a sudden it’s not,” Mathavan said. “But, graduation is still graduation, and it’ll still be the same event, regardless of the location.”
