Cover Photo: Students at the Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School graduation ceremony on May 6, 2020 in Bradley, Illinois.

Half of the year is over.

My senior year.

Stress, confusion, anxiety,

Depression, suffering,

Feeling trapped.

“No graduation,”

Class of 2020 complained,

Who had football games,

Homecoming, and

Everything else imaginable

Except graduation.

50% of our year is over,

Class of 2021 left with nothing.

No football games, no homecoming,

No memorable senior events.

Probably no graduation either.

We watched movies that fantasized about Prom,

Being a “once in a lifetime” opportunity,

Which Class of 2020 already had.

Class of 2021 will probably be

The first high school class in decades to have missed

Both opportunities to attend Prom.

Don’t get me wrong,

I know that you may be thinking

Prom is overrated, everyone graduates high school.

To miss two proms, however,

Our only chances to experience a high school prom,

Will be something the Class of 2021 remembers forever.

A message to 2021 and the second semester of our senior year:

I hope the vaccine comes out in time.
I hope we are able to attend a normal Prom.

I hope we are able to have a normal graduation.

I hope we can sit in a high school classroom normally,

For the last time, with no masks and desks that are next to each other.

I hope we are able to have memorable senior events

And make long lasting memories in the next few months.

Photo Credit: Scott Olson

Written by

Gasia Karakesis

Gasia Karakesis, junior, is on the OLu swim team and swims year-round. She loves to draw, listen to music, and read. Her favorite book is Call Me Zelda by Erika Robuck.