COVID-19 seemed like a far away disease, something that couldn’t touch us. Nothing could touch us, it was senior spring. Everybody had spring break plans that involved warm beaches and getting tan before the last month and a half of college. We had worked so hard since freshman year and it was finally time for the infamous “senior slide”. We were going to hangout with friends, check off the last items on our college bucket lists, and for the last time in our lives be relatively free from responsibility. The class of 2020 was already close and we had just gotten closer throughout senior year. But suddenly we were facing a very different reality. Originally we were going to be off campus for an additional two weeks after spring break. Then the email came explaining that we would not be returning to campus, our classes would be online, and our commencement was postponed indefinitely.
So, now what? Nobody was ready to leave, that’s what the last month of school is for. You get sick of school, maybe your roommates, and definitely the college lifestyle. But we weren’t sick of it. We were more enthusiastic than ever to make the most of our remaining time on campus. And suddenly our time was up. We had so many “lasts” without ever knowing they were our last. We won’t walk to classes, study in the library, or go downtown on a Thursday night with practically our entire grade anymore. And we weren’t ready for that to end. We didn’t get a chance to prepare. We didn’t get to say our goodbyes. To our people. Our home. The life we’ve known for four years.
So, now what? We mourn the things we’ve lost. The everyday things that we took for granted; a trip to get breakfast bagels, sitting outside of your townhouse, dancing in a townhouse, the hungover hangouts with your roommates the next morning. There are so many things that we never knew we would miss, and now we would do anything to get them back. And then there are the bigger things; P-Day, Derby Day, Senior Prom, Senior week, the wedding, and our graduation. The senior traditions that every class gets to experience, except ours. All of these events, the big and the small, compile to create the capstone to college. And we aren’t sad because we regret how we used our time on campus. We’re sad because we spent it so well and we deserved the grand finale. Knowing our class, it would’ve been a hell of a last month.
So, now what? We aren’t adults, yet we aren’t at school. Taking online classes makes the end of your school year very anticlimactic. For some of us, it feels like we’re already graduated. Suddenly we’re in the real world, and what a world it is. We hear constantly about the economy tanking, companies not hiring, and people dying. Not only were we not ready to be in the real world but I don’t think the real world was ready for us either. Placelessness, a word used in my First Year Seminar. It’s the lack of having a place. That’s how the class of 2020 is right now, without a place. Our homes are a different place, it’s been 4 years since we’ve lived here indefinitely and we’ve gotten used to our independent college lifestyles. Our home away from home is closed to us. The life we built throughout senior year is currently unavailable.
So, now what? We lack a physical place but we have found a different place. It’s an intangible place but it is now where we find comfort. This “place” is the relationships we’ve formed with each other. As soon as the email was sent out, there was an outpouring of love and support among the class of 2020. Texts, Instagram posts, group messages, purple hearts everywhere. There was a common theme in all of the messages, we weren’t regretful, we just wanted to celebrate the best four years of our lives up to this point. We grieved together. We made backup plans for graduation, senior week, and everything we are missing. And then we made backup plans for the backup plans. Our class representatives sprung into action contacting administration and telling them our plans. We did everything we could to control the situation. To salvage what we could. And honestly, to give us all some hope.
So, what happens when you don’t get senioritis? The class of 2020 is experiencing something nobody wants during their senior year. And as a senior, we’re heartbroken. We’ll always be craving these months. Craving to be in the same place as our entire class. To live together. To have our senior spring. And to get sick of it. To prepare for the real world. To make plans. And to say goodbye to it all. But we don’t get that. That’s something we have to come to terms with, and it might take a while. Once we do come to terms I think we will be able to see something very special. This class will be different from any other. We will value every moment from here on out. We will continue to cherish the people around us, the place we are currently in, and every moment we get. Our friendships are getting stronger through this common experience. We loved college. Our place. Our friends. And our experiences. That love won’t change, if anything it is growing due to the distance. The outreach among our class will continue, we’ll keep remembering the good times and celebrating each other. We’ll love each other a little harder, hug each other a little tighter, and have some wild ass reunions. Nothing will replace our senior spring, but one thing COVID-19 can’t take away is that we are the Class of 2020 and we had a hell of a ride.
To my entire class, I love you more than words and I’m so grateful for the last 3 ¾ years. I know everybody is headed on their own adventures but this isn’t the end of the road for us. We’ll have our celebrations and they’ll be bigger than ever. And most importantly we will never lose touch, because we know what it’s like to be apart. Cheers to the class of 2020!