Written by Michelle Martinez-Bonilla
High school is glorified in all forms of media; movies, books, and t.v shows. So, imagine my surprise when I got to MAST @ FIU and it was nothing like the movies. But, that was fine, I enjoyed my three years here, it was filled with mostly friendly interactions and I got to hang out with my friends regardless of the non-typical high school environment. But, I was still looking forward to senior year, the year of prom, grad bash, and crazy shenanigans with my friends. It was supposed to be the best year of my high school career.
I also want to mention that during quarantine, I sat down and watched all the Twilight movies. Watching the prom and graduation ceremony scene was very disheartening. I won’t be able to dance during a slow song or hear my parent clapping when my name is called or I’m walking across the stage. Those things won’t happen and it sucks. Movies, like Twilight, that show scenes that make a big deal out of these events and watching it happen was like rubbing salt in my own wound. It hurt.
Credits to Summit Entertainment (and any other owner) for this image. I do not own this image, the rights to this image or the movie, or the rights to the movie, Twilight.
The second half of the school year was ripped away from seniors everywhere. In March of 2020, schools were closed for what everyone thought was the weekend; the closure was extended and then extended again until the date of our activities was passed and we were told we’d be getting refunds. Everyone was disappointed. It’s absolutely crushing to be told, as a senior, that you wouldn’t be getting what you were promised, to not be getting what everyone thought would be the reward for finishing high school. Instead, the rest of the school year is completed at home. We are not even getting a traditional graduation ceremony! How unfair is that? Literally the rite of passage for every high school graduate, the time where parents clap teary-eyed, where we shake the hands of administration then get handed our diploma! Our diploma! We’re probably going to have that mailed to our homes.
It’s incredibly disappointing to know that we won’t get the things that every graduating class before us received. I’m not the only one wrestling with this feeling of disappointment and longing for the things we thought we’d get as a graduating class. Many of us feel the same or have different negative feelings around the canceled events and loss of the school year.
But, this is necessary. It’s necessary for social distancing to occur and the closure of schools happened because classrooms aren’t big enough for each student to be six feet apart. These events were canceled because it isn’t possible, or fun, to be six feet apart during these events. Schools not being the only things that are closed are proof that this isn’t something only happening to the graduating class of 2020, it’s happening to everyone around the globe with “non-essential” places being closed and having everyone stay at home.
In order to have places reopened and fewer cases of COVID-19, social distancing and quarantine are needed. But, the reasoning behind the closure of schools and places around the world, doesn’t lessen the disappointment or negative feelings.
How do you feel about the closure of the school year and the classic ‘senior events’ not happening?
A senior:
“I feel like obviously with the school year being cut short that seniors won’t get the full high school dream experience. At this point in high school, we’re all already so exhausted and for a lot of people, the senior activities were motivation to keep going and they were something to celebrate all of our accomplishments for spending 12 years in school. We won’t get to tell anyone younger than us how our Prom was, or our Grad-bash or graduation ceremony. We won’t get the experience that so many people look forward to. But still, it isn’t anyone’s fault and if I’m honest I’d rather things be canceled than put everyone at risk. It just sucks and feels unfair.”
Hannah Gonzales:
“Honestly I just feel disappointed, I feel like I never got rewarded for all the years I’ve worked hard in school. Senior year was supposed to be a year full of excitement and fun times but instead was suddenly cut short. I would’ve never expected anything like this happening, I just feel sad.”
Kathren Pavlov:
“Honestly I’m not as devastated as other seniors it is very sad we don’t get to go to grad bash and say bye to our other seniors but it also doesn’t feel like it’s the end of the world.”
All responses share the same sentiment, it’s sad. These are memories we’ll never have, once in a lifetime. We won’t say our goodbyes to people that made up our high school career, four whole years of sharing classrooms and conversations with them. All because of COVID-19.
The sentiments I and my fellow seniors share concerning these moments and our final high school year are not present to diminish the importance of quarantine and social distancing. Those things are important and completely valid safety measures put in place. You should still be following these regulations put in place. Social distancing “lessen[s] your chances of catching COVID-19 from the droplets spread by someone who is infected.” So, even though I and other seniors believe it’s sad and disappointing, we understand it’s important that these measures were put in place and we understand that it’s not the end of the world, we’re just disappointed.
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