2020 Under Construction

Commentary by Estelle Erwich, Managing Editor

Senior year is often a highly anticipated, slightly over-hyped and exciting chapter that high schoolers are encouraged to dream about from their first step on campus in freshman year. But the Cavalier class of 2020 has had quite a different experience than the typical graduating class, as the disease which was eventually our peril was much more severe than senioritis.

Prom, senior picnic, senior skip day, your last first day of school, graduation and memories that will supposedly last a lifetime, that is what senior year promised. Our class also held the enviable position of being the class of 2020 - a round number, a new decade and a year that was prime for slogans. (“We have 20/20 vision?” An instant classic.) The year itself seemed to be full of exciting events from the Olympics, to an election, a World Cup and the turn of the new decade. This beginning of a new chapter of life was brimming with possibilities - but instead of another roaring twenties, it more closely resembles the Great Depression.

The school year started out on an interesting foot, as we went back to school by the beach! Well, maybe not the actual beach, but there was definitely sand. Lots of sand. And a crane. The school was under construction, which meant areas were closed off and hallways were definitely cozier than before. We readily accepted hazard signs instead of the expected first day-back senior photo booth, even if going to school in a construction site meant a significantly longer walk to the parking lot.

After the initial shock of the back-to-school season subsided, the most stressful part of the year began for many seniors as college applications demanded their attention. The next several months consisted of deadlines, stress and then some more stress. But finally, January rolled around and our class victoriously submitted their last applications.

It was time for the part of senior year everyone had told us about, the High School Musical-Esque montage to roll by in flashes of spring break trips, promposals, cap and gown fittings and spirit week costumes. Our graduation caps were swapped out for face masks, however, and we were given a sort of senior skip day, except instead of skipping a day it was the rest of the school year.

When our teachers warned us we might not return to school, and to say our goodbyes now, few believed them. Little did we know, that day would include our last trudges up the third-floor stairs, lunchtime slushies and quests to find a bathroom that had toilet paper. We ungratefully experienced our last day of school with our classmates and teachers - something that, even with our supposed “20/20 vision,” we could not have possibly seen coming.

Though the end of our high school years did not follow the highly-anticipated route, the class of 2020 has still made the best out of the situation. While attempts to remedy our situation through virtual proms and graduation ceremonies are slightly more annoying than actually effective, the senior class has found ways to stay connected. With Zoom classes and virtual hangouts, Instagram bingo games, online decision day and a spirit week hosted on social media, we have managed to make the most out of our situation. Certainly, there are plus sides to these circumstances, like catching up on all of the sleep lost over the past three years and signing into school without worrying if you remembered to bring your ID.

Our senior year may have been slightly doomed from the start, but our class has proved to be resilient in the face of change and challenge. Many have found ways to reach out to others in this time, reflect, meditate, develop new hobbies and deepen relationships. Others are learning valuable skills like coping through humor and adapting to uncertainty. So whether you have learned to crochet, set a personal new record for hours slept or watched 15 movies which feature Adam Sandler, be proud of the way you have adapted to your circumstances.

This was not the year expected, and there is not much to say that can help change that. But the class of 2020, be proud of your achievements throughout high school and now. Not only are you earning a high school diploma, but you are also graduating with a certificate in surviving a global pandemic, and that is something the class of 2019 definitely cannot say. Although, they did get a prom. So maybe they still win.