teens

‘LOSING ALL OF IT’

Class of 2021 students share their thoughts on a frustratingly limited senior year. | BY ANDREA STETSON

The 2020 high school High School in Naples. ing out on homecoming and we seniors lost their Heather Morse, assistant are missing out on assemblies,” prom and graduation, principal at Estero High School, Katherine says. “We are missing out but many in the class helped organize a drive-thru senior on a lot of social interaction with of 2021 say they have breakfast, senior signs and a vir- each other.” it much worse. tual graduation last May. Now she Thomas is in band, Model U.N.

“They say 2020 was the worst, wants to make senior year better and on the Mock Trial team. but it was not worse,” says Kath- for the Class of 2021 but can’t give “Overall a lot of the extracurerine Standish, a senior at St. John them what they really desire. riculars are just being canceled,” Neumann Catholic High School “We can’t have any big gather- he says. “Mock Trial has been in Naples. “They got 70% of their ings, so unfortunately there was no completely canceled or is virtual school year. They were able to do homecoming dance, no pep rallies,” now. The music performance we group projects. They were able to Heather says. “For the athletes the do every year for band has been sit in a crowded gym on a Friday capacity is very limited. At football canceled as well.” night.” games there is only 25% capacity Model U.N. trips to compete

“They thought it was bad they for the fans, so that is a big adjust- around the state and the country lost the last quarter of last year, ment for everybody.” are canceled. So is the Collier but we are losing all of it,” echoes It’s not just the big events, but County Band Showcase and the big Thomas Beatty, a se- how students interact is limited, Florida Bandmasters Association nior at Gulf too. competition. When the band perCoast “They have to socially distance forms at halftime, they don’t do a at lunch,” Heather explains. “There marching show. They stand in place is only four to a table rather than and play their instruments. There having as many kids as they want. are no away games for band, and So that is different, too.” for the first month the number of It’s different and band students at home games was disappointing. severely limited. “We are Thomas says he’s glad that band miss- senior night was able to happen with parents and seniors making the honorary march across the field wearing masks.

“Honestly if COVID went away that would be really nice. Just being able to socialize and get together at school and not be 6 feet away from each other. There is nothing social now. It is tough for seniors.” — KATHERINE STANDISH

“I would like things to go back to normal, but there is not a magical way for that to happen,” Thomas says. “I would like things to be as normal as possible, but I know that is optimistic. I am just trying to make the best of it.”

Brian Robinson, a senior at Estero High School, was also disappointed about missing homecoming.

“A big thing for a lot of seniors, it is our last homecoming and we were not able to have a dance this year,” he says. “We missed not being able to have that last memory. School spirit is very difficult to maintain. You only have 25% capacity at football games and that sells out very quickly, and a lot of people can’t participate in that big event, that is not so big anymore.”

Brian is part of student government and is trying to keep school spirits up.

“Student government is working toward any ways possible to heighten school spirit,” he says. “We had a modified pep rally outside during dismissal and waved as people were leaving. We are missing out on pep rallies that are usually in the gym and people are cheering. It is a memory to have, but unfortunately we are not having that.”

Rebecca Selias, another Estero High senior, says school is very different now.

“What is interesting is that even though we are at school, it still feels like we can’t socialize with our friends,” she says. “Even though we are physically there, there are so many rules of where we can socialize or be in groups.”

Katherine echoes the sentiment.

“Honestly if COVID went away that would be really nice,” Katherine says. “Just being able to socialize and get together at school and not be 6 feet away from each other. There is nothing social now. It is tough for seniors.”

Parents are also disappointed. Beth Beatty, mom to Thomas, also has a son, Robert, who is a senior at the University of Florida.

“It stinks,” she says when asked about her sons’ senior years.

Beth liked seeing Thomas go to the courthouse for Mock Trial and work with real judges and lawyers. She liked seeing him go to live competitions for all his activities.

“Band has stunk. All his extra curriculars stunk,” she says.

It might be even harder for her older son, who was not able to do an internship over the summer and is now worried about employment after graduation in May.

“All those jobs hire from internships,” she says. “Everybody that graduated last year, none of them have jobs.”

Even with the disappointments, students are coping and trying to stay positive.

“Last week was our homecoming week. Even though we didn’t have a dance, we had everything else,” Rebecca says. “We had the dress up days, we had the class competitions, we still had the homecoming game and homecoming court, just no dance.

“We can still socialize, like at lunch. We have an opportunity to sit with three other people, but you can’t get up and talk to anybody. You have to stay in your seat until you are dismissed.”

“Our kids are handling it very well,” Heather says. “I am impressed with their maturity. My heart is with everybody. It is the hardest year yet. It is very challenging.”

Katherine says keeping active outside of school helps.

“I hang out with friends after school or before practice,” Katherine says. “A bunch of us will go out and get coffee. On days when we don’t have games, we go to someone’s house to socialize.”

Now seniors are just hoping the pandemic diminishes before the school year ends.

“If anything I just want to walk the stage and have a graduation,” Rebecca says. “If everything else gets put down that is all I want.”

“It really depends on how long this will last for,” Brian says. “If this lasts all the way to senior prom, we will have none of the things for seniors. If it gets better and we are able to get back to normal and we can have graduation, it will be better, but if not then it is doomed.”