Dear senior class

Art by SAMANTHA HO DEAR CLASS OF 2021

DEAR CLASS OF 2021, Congratulations! We have faced challenges that no other class has, and still, somehow we’re graduating!

But it doesn’t really feel like how we expected it to, does it?

We’re stuck in this weird back-andforth cycle; feeling excited that things are slowly returning back to normal and looking forward to college or other post-graduate plans, yet feeling our stomachs drop everytime we think about how we didn’t get to spend our last year in high school with the people we grew up with. How are we supposed to celebrate the end when it feels like we just experienced the beginning? For some of us, the only memories of high school seem to be distant remnants of junior year –– arguably the most academically challenging year of our lives, filled with late nights of SAT classes and frantic AP cramming rather than stunning senior sunrises and silly second semester shenanigans.

And it’s okay to feel this way.

The pandemic robbed us of so many of the dreams we have carried with us since we were freshmen. I remember wearing my ugly, bright orange Spirit Week outfit, staring in admiration at the class of 2017 staking their claim on the senior deck in their camo gear. I couldn’t wait to be like them: the people who dominated Spirit Week, who arrived at school in their elaborately decorated cool-kid cars, who jubilantly played Spikeball on the Quad while of keeping my earbuds in throughout the underclassmen watched them through the entirety of passing periods. I now cherish windows of our classes. the initially-awkward-but-wholesome ex-

Although the pandemic stripped us changes with teachers and classmates –– the from these stereotypical senior traditions, fast-paced conversations that simply cannot it didn’t keep us from continuing to make be achieved while frantically clicking the precious memories in little microphone on unconventional ways. In fact, I think we re- How are we supposed my Zoom screen. It’s hard to let go ceived almost just as to celebrate the end of what was supposed much as we lost. We were still ap- when it feels like we to be the “best year of our lives.” It’s hard to pointed as team cap- just experienced the let go of something we tains, club presidents and editors who led beginning? didn’t even get to have. It’s hard to find closure. with resiliency, pav- But hey, doesn’t that ing the way for underclassmen during this mean we have so much more to look forunprecedented time. We were granted a ward to in the future? Doesn’t that mean uniquely high degree of autonomy to make that we’ll continue to live each year as if crucial decisions –– leaving a legacy that it were our best and take the lessons we generations of students will look up to. learned from this one into the next? I know

And despite these unfortunate cir- I see it that way. cumstances, I know many like myself have So, seniors, as we celebrate the bittergained a newfound appreciation for the lit- sweet end of our high school experience and tle things that we took for granted over our venture off into the world, let’s continue to first three years of high school. For one, I’ve take challenges in stride. Let’s continue to learned to say “yes” a lot more. I’ve learned make the most of our days and years –– bethat a five-minute study break to Douce cause although a global pandemic can postFrance isn’t going to hinder my chances of pone events and shut down public spaces, it doing well on an upcoming test, and (safe- can only get in the way of our senior pride ly) hanging out on the Quad with people if we let it. And I, for one, don’t intend for I’m not close friends with would only be that to happen. awkward if I think it is. I’ve also learned that Tame Impala will still sound good even Sincerely, if I make small talk with classmates instead