By: Megan Benz
Through a hurricane named Harvey, and a global pandemic, the class of 2021 are finally seniors. But what does it look like to be a senior when an invisible enemy keeps canceling senior traditions?
Even though the seniors’ last first day of school was not what they imagined, many senior moms stepped up to make it unforgettable. Several moms coordinated a COVID-friendly senior breakfast drive-through for the first day of school. Seniors came in decorated cars, drove through the Memorial Church of Christ parking lot, and grabbed yummy breakfast tacos and donut holes while moms snapped a few last-first-day of school pictures of students in their cars.
While the way the students at Memorial High School are learning has changed, the Mustang Sweethearts’ senior board and their amazing sponsors, Molly Ellis and Meredith Rall, are working hard to provide seniors with all the usual spirit traditions in a safe way. For example, the Sunday before school, seniors and freshmen met in Bendwood park for a socially-distanced big-sis/little-sis mask meetup and ice cream party to celebrate the start of school. The Sweethearts’ senior board has worked tirelessly this summer planning and adapting paint parties, big-sis/little-sis events, and other exciting spirit events to more COVID-friendly forms.
Many seniors’ first response to “What is your favorite part of high school?” is, “seeing my friends,” which makes these first few weeks online tough. As always, the students at Memorial are resilient and are doing their best to adapt and overcome these challenges by taking steps towards keeping some normalcy to their school year while factoring in COVID precautions.
While this is not the position students, parents, or teachers thought or wished they would be in right now, groups such as the Sweethearts and the parents of the PTA are working hard to create a sense of normalcy through spirit and new, COVID-friendly, events. The students of Memorial will continue to innovate and come together to make their senior year the best year, even if it has to start virtually.
