Schools move closer to normal with graduations Written by Dean Thompson on May 7, 2021 A year ago, high school seniors didn’t get to celebrate with a prom or a normal graduation, and students at Western New Mexico University celebrated getting their degrees virtually from their homes, or wherever else they had a mind to. With vaccination rates rising and the calendar moving into May, it’s time to start thinking about proms, senior days and graduations. For WNMU, in the last Board of Regents meeting, President Joseph Shepard said that 135 or so of the 2021 graduates wanted to walk in a normal graduation, while about 35 had decided to participate virtually. So WNMU opted for a hybrid ceremony, which was held at 2 p.m. today at the football stadium, with limited seating.