Posted on 04/04/2020 1:32:43 AM PDT by L.A.Justice
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The disruption caused by COVID-19 has been incredibly inconvenient for everyone. But for some young adults, the timing of this lockdown has been heartbreaking.
The second semester of senior year is usually full of milestones: senior prom, senior trips, and graduation, just to name a few. But high school seniors across the state and country are missing some of these once-in-a-lifetime memories in an effort to stop the spread of Coronavirus.
Now, as the cancellations have started, local seniors are struggling to accept that for their class, these rites of passage may never happen.
“It’s devastating actually, because I really wanted to go to prom, and just spend time with my friends and experience my senior year,” Laney High School Senior Rachel Muir told WECT.
Like many of her classmates, Muir had already bought a dress, and had been looking forward to senior prom all year. But for the Class of 2020, the corsage, the limo, and the night dancing with friends looks like it won’t be a Cinderella story after all.
“It’s a hard thing to just grasp it being ripped away from us like that,” Laney Senior Nate Hedrick said.
It’s not just the memories from senior prom they will miss. It’s the looming possibility that other big events they’ve worked so hard for may now be out of the question as well.
“Once everything started getting cancelled and postponed and everything, I couldn’t handle it. It was just so much at one time,” Laney Senior Kamryn Ballard said of the tremendous disappointment.
“This is stuff we grow up looking forward to, since we are in elementary school,” Muir added. “This is what we’ve been working towards. This is a moment we will never get to live again.”
Seniors are grappling with the fact that one priceless experience after another may be missing from their book of life.
“Seniors last year and probably seniors to come, they will get their prom, they’ll get their graduation, they’ll get their senior walks around campus,” Hedrick said. “But with [Coronavirus] going around, none of us are going to get that, and we’re just going to have to live with that.”
While graduation hasn’t been canceled yet, these seniors fear it’s imminent. They say getting your diploma in the mail just isn’t the same.
“I really want to walk the stage, and see my family happy and proud,” Senior Alex Rivers shared.
While the disappointment is palpable, the uniquely painful experience of knowing their cap and gown may never get worn in public is making these students wise beyond their years.
"This is a thing we are all going to get through. Just keep moving forward and try your hardest,” Hedrick said.
New Hanover County Schools has yet to announce any decisions about graduation, and at this point, classes are scheduled to resume in May. But school officials have cancelled prom district-wide.
“New Hanover County Schools has informed high school principals to notify families that proms have been cancelled,” NHCS Spokesperson Ann Gibson said. “At this time, all high schools have canceled their proms and families have been notified. NHCS knows this is a difficult decision for everyone, so it was decided that families would be notified by high school staff rather than include the cancellations as part of a district-wide press release.”
Officials tell WECT they used the word “cancelled” because under the circumstances, it is possible they will not be able to reschedule prom, and they didn’t want to give people false hope.
“The district will evaluate end-of-year activities when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted and students return to school,” Gibson said.
Good luck to your son. I have three as well, with two still taking college courses.
As long as everyone stays healthy, everything will be OK. That’s how I see it.
LOL. Or if they lose access to the internet.
I hope so, too. Once this pandemic is over (hopefully soon), they can celebrate.
It will end. Hoping and praying it ends soon.
Agree they will not have that memory of what they worked so hard for.
Shutting down businesses, taping up playground equipment, ordering people to stay in their homes, even if it is an efficiency apartment in a high rise, is out of line with anything ever experienced before.
A big disappointment for all the senior-year athletes who play in the spring (baseball, lacrosse). If this pandemic ends by the summer (at least we hope and pray), then if the school won’t arrange a prom and grad ceremony, the parents can plan those events together for the Class of ‘20. Hoping and praying everyone stays healthy.
I never paid attention to the CDC's flu numbers until now. When freepers started posting that tens of thousands of Americans die from the flu each year, that number seemed way off to me, too.
The problem is, the CDC hides the real numbers. But, there's some information out there that shows the real number is in the hundreds (not the thousands). I will post some links as soon as possible and ping the other guy, too.
At first glance I thought the Headline said “cancelled porn”...
Oh the Humanity.
So far, so good as far as accommodating. Anyway, the plus side is that when this nightmare is over, people will be ready for a big party.
>>> “Lol, and of course you have the proof.....right?” <<<
For 2010, CDC reported 500 deaths from flu: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr61/nvsr61_04.pdf#page=39
Now the CDC combines flu and pneumonia. The new number is called “influenza-associated”:
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/how-cdc-estimates.htm#Influenza-Associated-Deaths
The CDC decided to make the number of deaths from the flu look larger so that more people would get the flu shot.
Great catch.
You may be right about the motive. It may even be as venial as that larger numbers justified a bigger budget.
No matter what the reason we need a better system with mandated reporting of flu infections in patients who seek medical attention hospital or outpatient, resolution, breakout of ages, virus id and even info on how many of the cases had received vaccination in the current season.
I predict some real surprises.
For life defining events like Proms or weddings, one should be able to do rapid corona virus testing right before the go in the hall, ensuring no one in the group is infected.
Something like that might save the event
I think you're right. I'd like to see the real numbers, too.
Whatever happens, the CDC needs an overhaul.
CDC needs more than an overhaul it need to be eliminated what a useless government agency, as are MOST government agencies!!! THANK GOD for the private sector if we had any other POTUS leaving the needs up to government OMG!! Although if we had any other POTUS I can guarantee you we would never have heard a word about this pandemic CRICKETS!!
I agree with the younger students. I think they really thrive in the classroom. I wonder if they can be ready for next year.
I’m in CA. Several school districts around me have recently sent out notifications that graduations and proms for seniors will still happen—but deep into the summer. A sensible solution I think.
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A good news...
It maybe easy for the officials to just cancel everything...Maybe the parents should contact the school board members to save graduation and prom...
I have twin grandsons who are seniors. They are also ball players. I have watched these boys play baseball since they were 5 yrs old. Getting better and better with each passing year. It broke my heart for them when school cancelled their ball season after only getting to play about 6 games this year.
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I am sorry to hear about the premature end of high school baseball season...
Maybe they could play baseball in college?
I grew up poor, not having crap doesn't bother me. Also makes me a semi Pepper.
Thanks L.A.......Yes they will play college ball. They both got baseball scholarships. Happy about that, but really sad they are missing so much of the fun times for their senior HS year. Their HS coach did manage to throw together a small senior recognition night at their last game, it was nice but not the same as the one they usually have since this was so last minute. There is just so much all the seniors will be missing out on that it breaks my heart for them. But it is what it is, huh?
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