When we were younger we wished for school to be cancelled, and our wish came true. School got canceled for the rest of the year. But this time, it hurts more than what I expected. 

As a senior, I was devastated when I heard about Gov. Laura Kelly’s announcement closing schools for the remainder of the year. It hurt knowing that this is my last year. We as seniors worked our hearts out for school whether it was through USD 383 or through many different schools. Whatever path we took, we got here today.

I felt alright with the news that spring break was extended another two weeks. I enjoy going to school, but I enjoy the breaks like spring break and winter break. 

But when it came to the coronavirus break, I thought we were all overreacting. I still think we are. But this time, it isn’t a break. It’s the real deal. I feel it’s only too soon for the coronavirus break to extend all the way. It’s only Tuesday, the second day of our break. We were already determined to cancel school overall. Couldn’t we wait till the two weeks to end to determine the next step? What if we find a cure sooner than expected?

For people with businesses and those working through the quarantine, we are currently working our butts off to help not spread the virus. The school has been doing this as well. Our janitors have been staying late to disinfect the high school using Clorox 360, which is very expensive. 

But now since the building is closed off, they don’t get appreciated for the hard work that they stay up late doing every day to help the spreading of this, especially with how expensive the chemicals were to clean the school. It sucks knowing we will never walk foot in there again, as seniors. 

Personally, it hit me hard knowing there is no more prom even after a majority of us have already bought the stuff we need for the event when it’s only a month away. I found my dress, had it altered, and I was ready to pick it up this Saturday. I will still be picking it up, because of course I paid for it. But I’ll have to find another way to wear it. 

For instance, since prom is cancelled, the idea of throwing a back-up prom with a few of my close friends is something I’m considering, or even just throwing my dress on and having a photoshoot with my friends. I know for sure a lot of us want to do something with our dresses and tuxes we got for prom. Let’s not all put them to waste and use them at least once. 

We may not be able to walk the stage to get handed our diploma that we worked extremely hard to earn, for 13 years. It’s been something we can all admit we were looking forward to. We watched the grades before us, walking the stage. We wanted our time to have the light shine on our hard work and accomplishments we’ve done.

I not only had my tassel hanging up in my room to remind me graduation was coming up soon, but I also had a letterboard that I counted down the days till graduation. Day by day I was getting more excited knowing the days were going down one at a time. But I tore it down since there is no more graduation happening, It hurt me while I did that, especially after all the years, months, days, hours, minutes and seconds we put our heart and soul into our high school careers.

As of now, school is going to be online-based, but it won’t be the same where we get to see each other face to face every day.

Some of us still have textbooks from classes, music and outfits from choirs, journals we turned in before break that are either still with the teacher or in their classrooms that we won’t get back, cameras that are still school property that our school district may not get back. 

You may never see your teachers again unless you run into them attempting to pick up supplies at stores that have run out of things.

At the end of it, all of the seniors walked out of the high school for our last time without even knowing it. We’ll never walk in that school again. These last couple months we have been making our high school year the best yet with the friends you made over the years since kindergarten. But it’s over, and won’t be able to do that. 

Hang on to all the great memories we made in high school, and I’m sure all of us will find a better way to make those memories, better than you were expecting.