Approximately 970 students participated in the University of New Orleans’ fall 2020 virtual commencement presented on Dec. 12. The ceremony, which was streamed live on YouTube, included a roll call of graduates and a keynote address by actor Harry Shearer. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic required the change and President John Nicklow greeted graduates via video while standing on campus near the fountain at the Robert Merrick/Latter & Blum Patio. The graduates represented 31 U.S. states and territories, as well as 24 countries. “Today’s program marks the end of long years of rigorous academic training, and the beginning of a transition to a different chapter in your lives,” Nicklow said in his virtual address. “I want you to think for a moment about how different you are today than when you first arrived at the University of New Orleans … You now understand what I mean when I say that education is transformational.