Dear Class of 2020

This is for you guys!

Hello, and I hope you all are having a safe day amongst this long quarantine. I've been holding up many feelings, and I think the end reason was ultimate numbness. I've cried many times of things that we as seniors were supposed to have, that we were entitled to. That we earned. Imagine that. Four years of rigorous honors class and some APs, not to mention the plethora of after school activities (marching band, sports) along with our life at home. Balancing all of these elements to get a decent grade is difficult enough, what more to graduate as a valedictorian or a salutatorian? Don't all our efforts deserve a reward? Aren't we entitled to happiness just as the classes before us? Are we that undeserving of a fulfilling senior year? Sometimes, I just wonder. When school shut down, the first thing that came to mind was "Why us?" Of all potential classes, it just had to be us. And to be honest, 2020 is such a nice number to graduate in. I don't know, it's just a special number that makes me proud to be the Class of 2020. Also, this is probably the first time our class will be getting the entirety of the attention, love (and hype). I remember watching other classes graduate and thinking "That's going to be me to take somebody to prom, and have the fucking time of my life. That's going to be me getting the good-luck kisses, the sad hugs, and the sweet farewells. That's going to be me on that stage, getting my diploma. That's going to be me, taking pictures with my parents after graduation," But what's happening now does not align to what we are used to. No prom, no graduation, no senior trip, and no of all of the fun things seniors should be entitled to. It's just not fair. No matter how you say it or word it, it's not just at all. Our hard work was put to waste when COVID impacted our nation the beginning of March. What happened just a couple days before are all memories. The day before schools shut down was around the middle of March. That very same day was our last day of school (unbeknownst to us). Amist of all the frustrations, tears, and what we are feeling inside, we can't reopen schools. In layman's terms, we cannot change the circumstances given to us.. We can't protest, and we can't arrange our own events. We can't even be given diplomas. Because the government really isn't the problem. It's the virus, and that is the hardest thing to accept: not being able to make a change, no matter how small it is. But that's what I'm here to tell you. We all have a story to tell. Although this pandemic caused us to be physically apart from each other, it also caused us to experience similar losses. And from writing these works of art, I hope you all can relate, and realize that you are not alone in this. Love you, and I know for a fact that these experiences will only help us in the long run.