Senior year is something you look forward to. After stressing about college you get excited for the big events planned for you and your friends such as prom, senior trip, senior week and other special activities before graduation. That was the normal routine, but no one expected a change in 2020.
If you haven’t heard by now about COVID-19 coronavirus, then you must live under a huge rock. COVID-19 originated in China, migrated to Europe, then made its way to the United States. The coronavirus hit us hard, attacking each state one by one, our fellow citizens began to fall like dominos. Due to how fast the rate of COVID-19 began to spread, governors and mayors in all 50 states closed down everything to try to slow down the rate.
The normal lives we once had went on pause, as did our senior year of high school and college. Of course at first we were happy to be out of school. We thought it would only last for two weeks. But to our surprise, as the days went by school became virtual. The days of the week were no longer relevant. Prom never happened and as assumed graduation became virtual too. Over time our emotions were all over the place. We were happy to finally leave school, I mean, who wouldn’t want a break. However, as time began to build up, we anxiously waited to return back to life with our friends and teachers as we once knew it to be. Then when the stay in order was passed, the feeling of sadness just took over our bodies.
Of course we were upset about not experiencing prom. It was bittersweet because prom was the one day that would have pulled everyone together. The day we sang to the top of our lungs with people we never spoke to. The unforgettable night that we would tell our kids about. The night that we were free to make mistakes. The night that we planned for the last four years.
You are probably saying “you’re forgetting the most important event!” I know but that one is special to us. Although we are angry about having a virtual graduation, we have decided to make it ours. We are no longer complaining. While we really want and desire an in person graduation, we will make the best memories we possibly can out of the virtual graduation. It’s sad to leave our friends and favorite teachers behind without saying goodbye, but it is what we are forced to do at the moment.
We weren’t the only people who had to sacrifice memories for the safety of our lives; other students and teachers also had to. Sophomores and juniors lost the prime moment in their athletic career to shine. Since COVID-19 interfered with their lives, they were not able to show recruiters what they were working with, and were not able to grow closer with their teammates. On the other hand, seniors as well were not able to play their last high school game.
While students are forced to lose making memories with their friends, teachers are forced to lose memories with their students. Over the course of four years, teachers build relationships with their students. Teachers are like our parents away from home. Soon enough we’ll be back to a new normal and will hopefully see each other again.