Feature
20 21 October 8, 2020
AN ABNORMAL BEGINNING TO SENIOR YEAR
BY MIA BERGMAN
J
Editor
ust one year ago, seniors were experiencing many of the things they had been anticipating for so long. They were looking forward to the football games and Homecoming spirit week and one last chance to decorate their hallway. Preparing for the big rivalry game with friends, hearing the band warm up and cheering as your classmates score a touchdown all seem like distant memories now. This year, the halls are emptier and undecorated, missing the usual Kaneland spirit before a Friday night football game. Senior Gabriella Spizzirri misses this feeling, especially with it being her last year of high school. “I was especially looking forward to the football season because I feel that is when the best school spirit is shown throughout the year. Ever since I was a little freshman in the nosebleeds of the Rowdie section, I looked forward to being in that front row on the fence supporting the team,” Spizzirri said. This year, Homecoming and other annual events will look different than past years. Homecoming offers many senior traditions, such as small-town parades, the announcement of Homecoming Court and the Powderpuff game. These events culminate in the Saturday night dance. While Homecoming was scheduled for the week of September 14, this year the dance could not take place then. Student Council co-advisor Joshua Maurice remains hopeful Homecoming will happen one way or another. “We are just trying to figure out what we can and can’t do. There are some things we can do, and we’re working on that right now. We are also trying to figure out how we can better support the seniors,” Maurice said. “Know that we are definitely
Photo by Brianna Michi
Kaneland cheerleaders prepared for the football players to run out of the tunnel before a game last fall. This is a scene that might not occur again until spring 2021.
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considering all of our options right now. If we were to do a Homecoming, it’s not going to be until spring. That being said, we’ll still have some sort of spirit week in October.” The spring semester offers a glimmer of hope for sports and events, like Prom and graduation, that students have envisioned since their first days as Knights. The class of 2021 has witnessed traditions like senior pranks and skip days since freshman year. They have seen senior athletes lead the way for years, and they are finally ready to take on those roles and play their last seasons as Kaneland Knights. For senior and football player Justin Jamrowski, his final year has not started the way he envisioned. “What I miss most is playing Kaneland football under the lights on a Friday night, and what would have been my last Homecoming,” Jamrowski said. Some fall sports such as football, boys soccer and girls volleyball have been pushed back to the spring. Fortunately for senior and varsity tennis player Brenna Sheehan, she can still have her senior tennis season. “Something positive about this year would be tennis. It’s one of the only things we still get to do and enjoy to its full extent,” Sheehan said. The class of 2021 also has another challenge to overcome: the college application process. Sheehan has experienced difficulties in her own college search. “I was looking forward to being able to visit colleges this year and being able to decide where I want to go to school, but all my visits got cancelled and most schools are not open, so I have to blindly apply to colleges,” Sheehan said. Many colleges are offering virtual tours
Photo courtesy of Olivia Burtell
Kaneland 2020 graduate Benjamin Durbala waved the spirit stick at the Homecoming assembly last fall. With limits on capacity, assemblies have not been a part of school this year.
in place of in-person tours, but it is hard for students to get a real feel of the school before making the commitment. On top of any closures, many ACT and SAT tests have been cancelled or are completely booked. In response, many colleges have gone test-optional, however this may not be helpful to everyone. “It’s nice that most colleges are making their schools test-optional, but for the purposes of scholarships I still feel like it would have been beneficial to take the tests earlier,” Spizzirri said. Even without being able to visit many colleges or having the same opportunities to take standardized tests, seniors can still find a silver lining. With the hybrid model, seniors are in school for five out of every ten days, unlike many other local schools. “I am disappointed that it won’t be a normal senior year. But I am looking at the positives over the negatives; at least we can be at school and interacting somewhat with classmates,” Spizzirri said. While few may have imagined a year like this one, it’s best for seniors to stay positive and make the most out of the year they’re given. Some moments that we were always told would make high school so memorable are not going to happen this year, but for seniors it means that this year will be remembered because of its uniqueness. Like Spizzirri, Jamrowski wants to enjoy his senior year no matter what direction it goes. “I am kind of bummed out about this year, having most of my best friends on the other day of school and not being able to spend my last year with them. You always hear stories from parents or from movies about how great senior year is, but I am planning on making the most of it,” Jamrowski said.
Photo by of Brianna Michi
The class of 2021 celebrated their Powderpuff victory during last year’s Homecoming week. This was a rare victory for the junior class over the senior class.
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