Since last spring, students across the world have had to adjust to remote learning and a new lifestyle while facing various obstacles along the way. It’s been a long year for all of us, especially for seniors who missed out on making memories they waited for all throughout high school.

I always imagined my senior year would entail a proper send-off for real life with fun events like my final homecoming, football and hockey games, and a normal soccer season. I haven’t gotten any of that. 

As for homecoming, I never thought I’d say this because I never enjoyed the awkward school dances, but when this event was taken away, I found myself wishing that it had happened. I kind of missed dancing in a humid cafeteria with all the lights on.

As a senior in high school, everything flashed before my eyes. I never thought last February would be the last time I’d be in the student section with my friends cheering on Barnstable High School’s boy’s hockey team against our rival, Falmouth.

Last fall was my final and weirdest season of playing soccer. Everything about the game was different, including our team dynamic. We struggled following the guidelines of COVID-19 like no physical touch and wearing a mask at all times on the field. Our team connection was also affected because it was forced when we first came onto the field since we were socially distanced on the bus, and that aspect has always vitally impacted how we play our games.  

I’ll be honest, even though everything is uncertain and hard to navigate this year, the BHS administration didn’t make it any easier or fun for the students since the school reopened.  My peers and I noticed a lack of desire from faculty to help the senior class make this year as memorable as we can despite the circumstances. I mean it’s the middle of April, and we still don’t know if we will have a prom. At this point, I could care less about going to prom because I’ve lost interest since it has been dragged on for so long. 

Speaking of prom, a few days ago my little cousin Annie Tasha who attends the New Hampton School in New Hampshire sent me a picture of her prom dress. My first reaction was how stunning it was but I jumped to the disappointing conclusion that she is having a junior prom and I most likely won’t even have a senior prom. 

We are the largest school on the Cape so that gives us a disadvantage, and it makes it harder to plan events because the state largely suggests against having events with lots of people. It seems like every school other than BHS is figuring out how to do school functions. 

I guess this year has taught me more than to bring hand sanitizer wherever I go; I learned to never take anything for granted and to live in the moment because you never know what memory could be your last.