My senior year was pretty great, up until around March. You guessed it, I was the class of 2020. I spent the better part of the school year making the most of my last moments in high school. I never in a million years thought it would get cut short.
The week that the first Coronavirus cases were confirmed in the United States, and in Michigan where I live, was extremely eery. It was the only thing anyone could talk about. Would we get sent home from school? How long would the break be? Did someone I know have it? Is everyone gonna die? Is it even real? I remember walking into my AP Biology class that week just to listen to an hour long lecture on viruses and how they work. We were told not to touch each other at sports practice, and we cried when the school's spring play was cancelled.
After that Friday, March 13th, I never set foot in my high school again. Throughout the following months I spent a lot of time in my room, playing board games, making cakes, and laughing on Facetime and Zoom calls with my friends and teammates. No one knew how long it would go on. However, no one failed to be surprised each time the lockdown was extended, or the allowed gathering size didn't increase. I remember the day Govenor Whitmer allowed ten people gatherings, it was like a miracle.
However even though the end of my senior year was rough, at least I had the beginning. I went to school and joked around in class, I got to stand in the front of the student section. I was in our school's musical and cried when we sold so many tickets that we had to put out folding chairs so people could see the show. I went to homecoming and felt like a princess. I got to squeeze into the tiny bleachers at the pep rally and not worry about how many feet apart I was from the person next to me.
Then even when COVID hit, all the attention was on class of 2020. Parents started by making new senior apparel, which I can prove with the shirt in my closet that says ,"Class of 2020; the one where we were quarantined" on it. Then teachers and people around the community started making "Adopt A Senior" groups, and I was getting gifts delivered to my house almost three times a week. We had drive-by cap and gown pick up, virtual graduation, real graduation, at home prom, another at home prom, at home graduation, and tons of "thought and prayers".
But now we're back at the beginning of another school year and where I live, I see no one mentioning the class of 2021. Everyone always says to me, "How's online college?" or "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry you didn't get to live on campus this year you must be so sad." which is nice of them to say, of course. However I don't think I've ever seen someone say the same thing to a current senior who is missing some of the best memories they would've had of high school. The rush to the lunchroom on the first day to get a good table, the constant "what are you wearing to the game tonight?" on Friday afternoon at school, the new friends, the endless laughs.
So to the class of 2021, from a current college freshman, I'm sorry. I know you thought things would be better right now and I'm really sorry they're not. I'm sorry that people aren't doing everything they can so that you guys can go back to school. I'm sorry I complained about not having a "real prom" when you all are missing out on so many things. I'm not going to tell you that you're resilient and you'll get through this because I know it sucks. It's okay to be sad, it's even okay to be mad, but don't spend what's supposed to be your best year of high school feeling sorry for yourself.
