Defying Gravity

To the Class of 2020,

After 13 years of schooling, we are finally at the last stretch. Unfortunately, it is not going to plan and the moments we have envisioned and strived for, especially these past four years, are probably not going to happen. Due to the spreading pandemic, many of us are unsure if we will even get to see our classmates and teachers again before we head off to the next chapter of our lives.

These past six days in quarantine, I have done a lot of reflecting and part of me has felt like I was being selfish for the way I was feeling. I couldn’t help but be upset that our senior year is being robbed from us and that we wouldn’t get to experience those huge milestones that we have worked endlessly for. While this remains true, I still felt as if this perspective of mine was egocentric and inconsiderate. What I realized though, after spending hours in my thoughts because I have nothing else to do, was that this is not a selfish way to feel and that these emotions are valid.

So to my fellow seniors who are filled with despair just like I am, it is okay to feel this way. It is okay to be upset and it is okay to cry because what is happening right now is overwhelming and you are not alone in feeling the way that you do.

But this situation is not going to get any better if you aren’t doing anything to help it. I saw an interesting simulation on what it would look like if we all took part in “social distancing” and how it would effect the spread of this growing outbreak. I highly suggest taking the time to read this article because it’s super informative, but if you look below you will see the orange (the amount sick) decreases the more with distance ourselves and the amount of healthy and recovered is greater.

So seniors, while we are all very saddened by what is happening in the world, we can play a part in making the situation lessen. This isn’t a four week spring break, like I’ve heard many joke about. This is a time to really take this crisis seriously and focus on keeping yourself and those around you healthy. While we may not be the ones most affected by this virus, we are the ones that can easily spread it without even showing symptoms.

In order to take back our senior year and still save some of those final moments, we have to hunker down for now and brave the storm. So sit back, read a book, don’t touch your face, and for the thousandth time WASH YOUR HANDS! I know it’s not ideal, but it’s the only way we can try and salvage what’s left of our last year together.

Sincerely,

Jordan, your fellow senior