Every week the Town Crier blog looks back at Seattle’s near-forgotten Town Crier magazine to see what was happening, and talk about what’s happening now. One of the largest sections of the original Town Crier was “What People Are Doing,” highlighting things like, “Mrs. Jane Douglas Champlin was the honor guest at an attractive luncheon” and, “There is the sort of an exhibition at the Fine Arts Gallery which will appeal to the various members of a family.” In this series we’re revisiting the old column and tying it to our community’s current happenings, asking: “what are people doing?”

Throughout Seattle and across the country, stay-at-home orders have disrupted normal class schedules. Many students have found themselves gearing up to attend virtual graduations, or taking final exams remotely. Despite the strangeness of the times, it’s certainly nothing new for students to enjoy a well-deserved graduation. The same was true in 1920 as well, says the Town Crier. 

“The Saint Nicholas School held its Commencement exercises yesterday morning, June 4, for the class of 1920, in the Fine Arts Gallery,” mentions the ‘Crier in their June 5, 1920 issue. Renowned for its attendance by many of the most prominent families in Seattle, the Saint Nicholas School was a private girls’ school that prepared its students both for navigating  Seattle’s high society, as well as for pursuing their own courses of higher education.

“The School, under the direction of Miss Edith Dabney, has made an enviable reputation as one of fine Ideals that are being realized in the life of the pupil, and when it comes to the last analysis there can be nothing of higher worth gained from any school than the building of character.” Sounds like a worthy institution. 

Of course, we have many worthy schools today as well. One such establishment is Cornish College of the Arts, who are proudly broadcasting a graduation of their own. Cornish invites us to celebrate a fresh wave of burgeoning artists with a virtual commencement ceremony on May 16 starting at 11AM. The event will feature the work of talented performers and speakers from the class of 2020. The festivities also include addresses from President Raymond Tymas-Jones, Provost William Seigh, and Cornish alumna Skye Borgman. 

Sounds like a worthy way to spend a Saturday!