Missing senior year: Pandemic leaves senior activities uncertain By Isabella Castellanos Joa, Staff Intern
At first, they thought lockdown would just be for a month. Then spring sports were canceled. Then graduation. Then the first day of senior year was remote. Fall sports were postponed. Homecoming was canceled. The state forced schools to open in October, but about 90% of seniors stayed home. “Because of COVID, I’m more comfortable at home,” senior Sierra VanDreason said. COVID-19 cases spiked in November and December, ruling out a full face-to-face return for the start of the second semester. Forty-five out of 279 seniors signed up for at-school learning for the second semester, but never have that many shown up. Only 19 seniors were present at the start of third quarter on Feb.11. Grad Bash, prom, a senior send-off pep rally and graduation all seem likely to be canceled, and senior year, with its great expectation as a rite of passage, will be over like a mouse click on the “Leave” button. “I’m sitting in my bedroom for eight hours a day on my computer looking at my teachers through a screen... it’s not ideal,” senior Bria Kuntz said. “I’m just another Microsoft Teams bubble in the meeting.” After years of perceiving past classes’ graduations and celebrations, a void is waiting to be filled. “Looking at my freshman and sophomore years and
seeing what the seniors got to do and how they were feeling and reacting to certain things made me feel like, ‘I want to know what that’s like,’” Kuntz said. “This year has taken that away from us … It’s like I just want to graduate and get this over with.” As many seniors define them, these traditions are a rite of passage that make the last year of high school a memorable moment. “We are celebrating us, and to have that taken away it’s like ‘Well, I have a diploma, but I don’t have any memories,’"senior Amniche Guerrin said. The remote experience could have effects long after the pandemic is beaten. In past years, being on campus gave seniors the advantage to get quick answers about college and applications from counselors and advisers. “It’s impacted the rapidity that students can access quality information,” school counselor Kathleen Fish said. “Communication and time for overturn has definitely lengthened.” Despite every ounce of difficulty, seniors have sought ways to stay involved with the school. “The pandemic not allowing me to participate in normal senior activities is sad,” senior Diego Orellana said. “But football Senior Night and all those sports activities have helped to make up for what we have lost.” Seniors have tried to look forward and learn from what the year had to offer. “It’s a new challenge that has been presented to us,” Guerin
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Homecoming King & Queen. Meldrina Jeantinor and Hilton Etienne stand together for a picture after becoming the 2019 homecoming king and queen. PHOTO BY ROMY GARRAUD
Holding onto memories. David Dos Santos holds Ryan Pszanka at Homecoming 2019. PHOTO BY SOPHIA RAPP Staying inside the lines. Tobias Burrowes paints his parking spot in the senior lot in October 2019. PHOTO BY SANAA BRYANT said. “New obstacles, things to overcome, and new ways to live that have been shown to us throughout this year.”
