As I sit in my bedroom (which is now also my classroom) writing this article, I can easily say that this year was anything but normal. We have been out of school for over two months, and rather than embarking on our externships, working on at-home projects that pale in comparison. The school year did start off as a fairly normal one -- we seniors travelled to Concord Road for the annual book reading to Kindergarteners, we enjoyed our senior picnic, and we danced and sang in the Senior Revue.
Unfortunately, this sense of normality did not last.
In late January, our classmate and friend Eric Goldberg and Jordan Wachtell tragically lost their lives. Our year came to a screeching halt as we grappled with this loss. No good can truly come out of such sadness. But during this time of sorrow and uncertainty, our community joined hands, undergoing the healing process together and advocating against drunk driving. It is this that helped me and many of my classmates slowly get by.
"During this time of sorrow and uncertainty, our community joined hands, undergoing the healing process together and advocating against drunk driving."
After winter break, we searched for a return to normalcy. We powered through school, beginning to prepare for the AP exams that would be taking place in May. Many hours were poured into studying, and we expected to soon be sitting for full-length practice exams with specific structures and questions -- something that, as a junior, had been crucial to my preparation for the real exams.
Little did we know that we would not sit for those exams (well, at least in the traditional way). For months, we had all witnessed in the news the Coronavirus epidemic that was facing China, but it never really occurred to us that we would be so adversely affected. We were reassured that it was contained, and unlike Japan, we would be finishing our school year in person. (Noah Guo, believing otherwise, took up a bet with Mr. Simone, and won himself a free sandwich.) As March came along, we found ourselves out of school for two days of cleaning. Soon, two days became two weeks. But that was not enough. Coronavirus cases soared. Two weeks became a month, which became two months, which became a closure for the rest of the year. After months of trying to return to normalcy, we were once again thrown into uncertainty: uncertainty about spring seasons, about our upcoming exams, and uncertainty about graduation, prom, and the senior cruise. Instead of having formal lessons, we’ve had homework assigned to us, as we hastily finished what we needed to for the year.
Of course, this was not the best learning and social situation for us -- for anyone, for that matter. But despite the distance requirements, our grade has still found many different ways to connect with one another, whether it be car-sitting in parking lots or socially distanced hangouts. I think that through all of these unforeseen situations, our grade and school has proven once again how powerful our community is. In the wake of George Floyd’s death, our community organized peaceful protests and marches, once again coming together, with safety in mind, in order to express our support. This was the ultimate testament to the strength of our community; we had weathered an extremely difficult year, but nothing could stop us from fighting for what we believed in.
"This was the ultimate testament to the strength of our community; we had weathered an extremely difficult year, but nothing could stop us from fighting for what we believed in."
What will happen come the summer and fall still remains uncertain. We’re not sure if we’ll ever have a true prom or senior cruise. We’re not sure if we’ll be attending college this fall, or if that will be pushed off, too.
But there is one thing we do know: regardless of what happens, we will all be there for each other, like we always have. #ArdsleyStrong.