Modified senior events to mark traditional end of school

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Modified senior events to mark traditional end of school

By Javier Garcia, Sports Editor

Not all traditions this year have been lost to the pandemic. While they won’t look like what the Class of 2021 expected when its members entered school, many end-of-the-year traditions will take place after weeks of discussion among senior class officers, school administration and district policy-makers.

The list of senior events includes an in-person graduation, as mandated by former Superintendent Robert Runcie, and a car parade around school, an event established last year to replace the canceled in-person graduation ceremony.

“There’s been a lot more additions for the seniors especially added at the end of the school year, though this year I would have expected to completely return to normal,” senior Joel Williams said.

After 13 months of hearing no, many seniors wondered if they would experience any end-of-school traditions.

“I didn’t have much expectations going into senior year because the pandemic really showed everyone how life is irrational and anything can change in a moment,” senior Andrea Castellano said.

“I knew it was going to be very difficult this year compared to years past,” senior Davine Martinez said.

Among the changes, the traditional prom has been transformed into the Senior Formal Celebration, taking place on the football field on May 14. Hotels and other venues were not an option, so this event was created to give seniors the opportunity to dress in tuxedos and evening gowns and have pictures taken.

“We ended up realizing we could not do the indoor venue with kids eating and dancing, so anywhere indoors was out the window,” senior class vice president Gavana Bogle said. “We had to come up with some other options that followed CDC guidelines.”

Along with Bogle, the rest of the senior class officers sent proposals throughout the year trying to conform, and each time was denied leaving the hope for some form of prom dwindling.

“It was really hard at the beginning, because earlier in the year they did not want to have a prom, period. We sent in proposal after proposal and they just kept getting denied,” Bogle said.

When superintendent Runcie held a meeting where he allowed schools to host a prom while strictly following CDC guidelines, it paved the way for real work to be done at long last.

“It was hard to secure some of the things like a DJ with there being so little time in advance once we got the go ahead,” Bogle said, “It’s not going to be identical to prom, we just got to do the best that we can with this confusing year.”

Graduation will take place on the football field at 8:00 pm on June 4 with a maximum of two guests per student. The guests will be spread throughout the stands to follow countywide CDC guidelines on social distancing.

“Walking across the stage and receiving my high school diploma is a once in a lifetime experience and I can’t wait to graduate,” Castellano said.

Rehearsal for graduation will take place after the senior breakfast at 8:00 am on June 3. Attendance is mandatory and all obligations must be paid to receive a cap and gown after the event.

No one is claiming that this year’s senior events are a perfect replacement for all the traditions that won’t happen.

“I feel like I missed out on the senior experience a little seeing as we don’t get to end school early or participate in the end of the year Grad Bash,” Williams said. “I feel like college will grant me some of these wishes as I can choose my schedule a little more to my liking.”

Even the traditional hope for the future beyond graduation is has changed for the Class of 2021.

“I hope my freshman year in college isn't very disrupted from the pandemic so I can fully experience my first year. I’m very excited to go off to college and hope it's mainly in person,” Castellano said.