GSAPP has partnered with the new and experimental online platform ohyay to create a unique Virtual Ceremony experience on Thursday, April 29th. The event will occur in an online space crafted especially for GSAPP to include the broadcast of the ceremony, as well as interaction with graduates, live on-screen as their names are called, a live feed of the Faculty stage party, and chat with emoji reactions for graduates, faculty, and the audience of family and friends.

Anyone can join on ohyay and the number of guests per graduate is not limited. ohyay is web browser-based and works best on Chrome. A log-in is required, but advanced registration is not.

Graduates will log in using their UNI email address - to be pre-assigned to their virtual seat. There will be a special “green room” for graduates to watch the ceremony together when they are not “on-stage”. Guests will not be visible during the ceremony (i.e., their audio/video will be off), but they can participate in chat and reactions. Additional details for joining ohyay will be released on Thursday, April 22nd in an additional update email.

Immediately following the ceremony (at approximately 11:15 am EDT), all participants and guests are invited to mingle in the ohyay virtual reception spaces. Here, guests can explore different “rooms,” meeting each other’s families and faculty. These spaces will allow for live audio/video, chat, and emoji reactions.

For those who choose not to participate on ohyay, the webcast will be available directly on the GSAPP website as well as on GSAPP’s YouTube Channel; no reservations or accounts will be required of any graduate or guest. There is no limit to the number of viewers for the webcast. Immediately following the webcast the video will be available to download by graduates in the Lionmail Google Drive, as well as on Panopto and YouTube for streaming.