The viral thief did not discriminate when it stole from the class of 2020.
Cloaked in society’s efforts to slow its progression, the pandemic took moments from the musicians and actors and athletes, the lovers of science and travel and robotics and community service, all of whom expected to put on their caps and gowns and walk across a stage into adulthood.
The educators trying to plan a high school graduation in a situation unprecedented in any of their lifetimes understand this and the importance of noting the rite of passage as best they can.
“I think the biggest thing we’ve talked about is just not being able to bring closure to the school year for seniors,†said Pat Hunter-Pirtle, Lincoln Public Schools director of secondary education. “It’s really bringing closure to their adolescence.â€
They are missing the big moments: the proms and senior honors and May graduations.
People are also reading…
But they’re also missing the small ones, of being with the people who have filled all their days, and the small triumphs of a senior year.
On the day when seniors finish their last round of finals at Lincoln Pius X High School, pick up their caps and gowns and run through a practice of graduation Principal Tom Korta sees the exhilaration, how it begins to dawn on students that their years of high school really are coming to a close.
“My heart just breaks for them,†he said. “That daily interaction with peers and your teachers … it’s all those little things they’re missing, some that they don’t even realize because they’ve never had them before.â€
They may not comprehend some of the moments they’ve missed, but they do mourn the loss of those they’d been anticipating. When the Lincoln Journal Star’s Class Acts editors asked seniors to name the one thing they’re disappointed to miss out on, their responses provided a glimpse into a diverse group of young adults missing the activities that have defined their high school years.
They wanted to experience their last seasons of track and soccer, tennis and golf and baseball. Archery enthusiasts wanted to go to state, speech and debate team members to compete in their final competitions.
Students wanted to experience their final quiz bowls and science Olympiads and SkillsUSA competitions. They wanted to shine at their final Future Business Leaders of America conferences and the national We the People competitions.
Many students wanted a chance to say goodbye to the routines and the people they’d come to know.
“The lasts,†wrote Lily Hefner, president of National Honor Society at Lincoln Southeast, co-captain of the school’s dance team and social media coordinator for the school newspaper. “Pep rally, prom, finals, bye to teachers.â€
Riley Herring of Ashland-Greenwood will "always wish for one more day of closure," Malcolm High School's Anna Schroeder wanted “a traditional last day of high school†and many lamented missing the chance to say goodbye to friends and teachers.
Lots of students wanted to experience their senior proms, final orchestra and jazz band performances and spring musicals.Â
At Pius X, Emma Ogea would have starred as Dolly in the school’s spring production of “Hello, Dolly!†and Ethan Schmidt, who built a toothpick bridge that held 341 pounds for a physics competition, really wanted to experience the Rube Goldberg competition in his physics class.
The seniors of 2020 wanted to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors, fulfilling the traditions not sanctioned by the powers that be: the senior pranks and skip days.
The lasting impact of the pandemic on these seniors depends on individual circumstance, said Wendi Anderson, HopeSpoke outpatient services director.
Students who have family members who have fallen ill, for instance, will experience things very differently than those who did not, though the social isolation and uncertainty about grades can add a layer of anxiety to everyone, she said.
In the end, it comes down to perspective, finding creative ways to stay connected.
“Everything is about how we look at it,†Anderson said. “What’s the silver lining? What can we find about it that is good?â€
Some students who experienced bullying or dread social events like prom, or can't afford a dress, might be relieved at not having to go through them, Anderson said.
Another positive: the flexibility of remote learning gave some students on the edge a chance to catch up and graduate, said Brenda Leggiadro, LPS supervisor of counseling and social work.
But this year has disrupted college plans, and robbed seniors of milestones, especially from those first in their families to graduate.
“It’s just missing that milestone and the public acknowledgement of the milestone,†Leggiadro said. “It’s just anti-climactic. It will happen and that’s a good thing, but there’s no party, there’s no walk across the stage, no pictures, no time in the spotlight.â€
While some Nebraska schools have settled on virtual graduations, several Lincoln-area districts have moved the graduation dates forward, holding out hope for an in-person ceremony of some kind.
That includes LPS, which has set aside July 26 for graduation but is creating a virtual graduation program just in case.
In doing so, Hunter-Pirtle discovered students care about things he didn’t think they would, like having their names read aloud.
Pius X officials moved graduation to Aug. 2 with the hope restrictions will be lifted by then, Korta said. Still, they’re planning for virtual alternatives, or maybe staggered ceremonies so people can maintain proper social distance if necessary.
Already schools have had to recreate some of those formal “lasts.â€
Pius X livestreamed the traditional senior Mass, read the names of students going into the military, said a blessing for the students not there in person this year.
On the original graduation day scheduled in May, seniors’ names were to scroll across the digital sign in front of the school, and administrators planned to post a video of the senior class along with a message from the Rev. James Meyenburg online.
Norris High School Principal Nate Seggerman also hopes to have an in-person ceremony July 26, but as the 173 seniors return to school -- one by one -- to turn in books and pick up personal items at the end of the year, they’re being filmed in their caps and gowns, walking across a stage -- just in case a virtual graduation becomes inevitable.
Graduation is Southeast Principal Brent Toalson’s favorite time of year, despite the work. He loves the annual speech to students and he works hard to make it unique each year, though there are recurring themes.
He makes sure to note the milestone, to look back on the year and what makes each class unique, reminding students this isn’t an end, but a beginning. He tries to make eye contact with as many students as he can, to connect one last time, to say something meaningful to them.
This year will be different, but no less important. Maybe more.
“I just feel sad for the kids,†said Hunter-Pirtle. "It’s a hard reality that none of us has had to face.â€