The night before the first day of online school, I sat down at my desk and was met with an onslaught of emails. They were all from my teachers and principal, giving the student body a detailed account of the school's plan to continue our education. One of them began with, "I hope you're adjusting to your new life." My heart dropped.
As I continued reading, I learned that all of the events my peers and I were looking forward to attending were either postponed or canceled. It scared me to think that this time of isolation and uncertainty would last much longer than expected, but I knew I wasn't alone.
COVID-19 has completely changed the way we live, interact with others, and conduct ourselves. Everyone is to practice social distancing, stay inside, and wash their hands much more often than before. We are all anxious to see what our future holds, especially this year's seniors.
Today, we don't know if we'll have the graduation ceremony we, and our parents, have been anticipating. "There are certain things in life that everyone has the right to experience, and graduation is one of them," says my mom, Tonya Ware. She has been sharing her apprehension concerning the possibility of having a virtual graduation. She believes that not having a ceremony could make the transition out of high school disjointed. "It's important to close one door so that you can open another." That "other door" is our college years.
Selecting a college during this turbulent time is much more challenging due to all the colleges closing and not allowing tours. After all, picking a college is a life-altering decision, and there is no real substitute for setting foot on a college campus. One in-person visit can be the deciding factor for where a student chooses to continue his or her education.
As a member of this year's senior class, I can say that we wish to experience our last moments. We want to go to our last high school dance, say goodbye to all our friends before we part ways, and thank our favorite teachers for the impact they've had on our lives. The creatives desire to put on the show they've been rehearsing. The athletes long to compete in their final season.
These are the reasons many of us have mixed emotions concerning social distancing and quarantine. We understand the importance of staying indoors. "It's terrible that so many things have been canceled our senior year," says Harris McLemore, who is a member of our school's tennis team. "But then again, I realize how important it is to stay safe."
If we don't take this pandemic seriously, our older family members and anyone else who is immunocompromised could contract the virus and possibly die from it. Lily Grace, a member of our Accents dance team, says, "I have a grandmother who, if infected, could be endangered, so I have been following the guidelines pretty strictly."
None of us foresaw a future where we needed to stay home to preserve our health and the health of our loved ones. We didn't anticipate our senior year being cut short. However, I believe staying positive and developing a healthy routine is crucial. Every morning I get ready for school before I sit down to study. I keep in contact with my friends by calling or FaceTiming them. I've also been cooking with my family and riding bikes with my sister.
To the Class of 2020, to their parents and guardians, I have faith that this "new life" isn't forever, and until this is over, we must stick together.
Wisdom Ware is a senior at Jackson Academy.
