By Michelle Dang 

Staff Writer 

   Since the beginning of this societal seclusion, everything has felt like a fever dream. I sleep, I wake up, I eat; repeat. It never occurred to me that the world was actually changing and that everything I had looked forward to as a senior would be taken away. 

   At first, I had not entirely acknowledged that the coronavirus was a growing problem in the world. I did not expect it to grow as exponentially as it did, but when I was experiencing my last day of school before quarantine, I suddenly realized the extent of the virus. 

   Before I knew it, schools were closing, people stopped going outside, and there was a genuine fear within our society. People were scared to be near each other and wore masks and gloves in public to keep safe. Hospitals and medical centers were flooded with new cases everyday and the medical staff worked long shifts that kept them from being with their family. 

   On the other hand, mothers and fathers were spending time with their kids and families were growing closer as they spent more time together. People found new hobbies and interests and began finding time to focus on themselves. 

   The world grew quiet, as if Mother Nature could finally take a deep breath and find peace in the chaos of everyday society. The canals in Venice are clearing up due to the cut down on water traffic. Air pollution has dropped in major cities and no one is in a rush anymore. 

   Although this disease is in many ways helping the world, it has also changed everyone’s daily routine almost entirely. Students switched to online learning with teachers who had little-to-no experience with the system, small businesses are on the brink of losing their stores, and seniors whether in high school or college have been stripped of a graduation that they worked their whole lives for. 

   I am choosing to highlight this because, I, myself, am a senior in high school that was robbed of a graduation. Every senior has put their all into creating the best foundation for their future and the things that come along with that are Graduation and Prom and all essentials of being a senior in high school. 

   I think it is frustrating because, overall, there is no one to blame. The quarantine and cancellation of prom and graduation are all a part of keeping everybody safe but it does not change the fact that it changes how things were supposed to be. 

   Students have always been excited  for the end of high school and the activities that come with it, like a reward for how hard we have worked, and to have that taken away is disappointing because there is nothing anyone can do about it. 

   I can be mad and upset about it for as long as I want, but I have come to the realization that this is all happening to us now and there is no going back and hoping that things will change or be better. 

   This worldwide pandemic is a learning experience for everyone. I have come to understand what is important to me, what I care about, and how I react to issues like this. I feel that, although I had a lot taken away from me, I also need to be grateful for what I do have because, despite everything, there are people who are suffering and experiencing worse.