KINGSTON, R.I. – May 15, 2020 – It has been unusually quiet on the University of Rhode Island’s Kingston Campus for the past few months, and especially so as Commencement 2020 Weekend approaches. In normal circumstances, the campus would be teeming with seniors and other graduating students gathering with their friends and snapping photos. Due to COVID-19, remote learning has been the norm for months, and typical commencement exercises have become virtual recognition ceremonies set for May 16 and 17.

But in the last few days, there has been quite a bit of a buzz on campus around a special installation on the quadrangle, in the form of a super-sized Rhody logo, (URI’s classic interlocking RI) measuring more than 40 feet, which has been stenciled and painted on the grass along with the class year “2020.”

Word of the logo has been getting out. As more and more small groups of soon-to-be grads clad in their graduation finery and their caps and gowns queue—while respecting social distancing—for their turns at taking photos on this spot, the mood is decidedly upbeat, and the gesture, by staff from facilities operations/lands and grounds at URI, seems to be striking a chord. Smiles, laughter and fun are on full display.

“We were looking for a way,” said Michael DiPasquale, manager of landscape and grounds at URI, and part of the group that organized the surprise graphic project, “to show the Class of 2020 that we care.”

“Normally, by now, this place would be bustling for commencement,” said Paul Neri, a URI landscape maintenance technician who had the initial idea and got together with DiPasquale and Robert Johnson, senior gardener at athletics, to work out a specific plan to make the quad graphic happen.

“This was our chance to do something special for the class that, unfortunately, would not have the opportunity to walk across the stage like those before them,” he said.

Johnson, who had done this type of stenciling regularly over the past two decades at Meade Stadium, knew that they could easily update the concept with the class year and bring it to the quad.

“We used the quad cams to find a spot that would be visible to those viewing it online, and we got to work. It took us about eight hours to get the project done, between cutting the grass once more, arranging and securing the stencil, and the actual painting,” said DiPasquale.

Emma Wallas, a senior nursing student from Commack, New York, didn’t expect to see the giant graphic as she walked across campus to have photos taken. When she saw it she knew she had to stop and get a few shots.

“Normally commencement happens right here on the quad, so it was special to see that the staff at URI had decorated the area to honor the seniors and their accomplishments,” Wallas said. “This pandemic has been hard for everyone as we adjust to a new normal so seeing the surprise on the quad and having a few photos to commemorate my time at URI was really great.”

DiPasquale noted that the 27-member grounds and maintenance team at URI, despite the current situation resulting from the coronavirus, has been working hard, putting in significant effort to ensure that campus looks its best. Team members have been doing a lot of what they would normally do, except for the task of paint-striping the quad, he noted, which on a typical year, “serves as a guide for setting up thousands of chairs in perfect rows facing the commencement stage.”

On seeing the students react to the gesture of appreciation to all the 2020 graduates, Johnson said, “It’s just awesome.”

Members of URI’s Class of 2020 will be part of URI’s Virtual Recognition Weekend this year and will have their degrees conferred virtually. Ceremonies can be viewed online beginning Saturday, May 16 at 9 a.m. for graduate students, and Sunday, May 17 at 12:30 p.m. for undergraduates. The pre-recorded ceremonies can be viewed anytime following their initial posting.