I can’t say this is exactly how I envisioned my last year at Spring-Ford, but the school and the community ensured that despite the circumstances, we would be resilient and we would feel special.[/pullquote]I don’t think any of us really expected this. When I walked into school on August 26th, 2019, I was ready for a full year, my senior year. I was bursting with bittersweet excitement for my last Spirit Week, my last homecoming dance, my last swim season, my last prom, and eventually, graduation. 

However, as we now know all too well, things don’t always go as planned.

I left school on March 12th, after sixth period due to not having my dual credit class anymore, not knowing that it would be my last day of “real” high school. When the news broke that school was called off, I was at home, in shock that this was my new reality.

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I can’t say this is exactly how I envisioned my last year at Spring-Ford, but the school and the community ensured that despite the circumstances, we would be resilient and we would feel special.

— Senior Sam Thomas, Opinion Editor

As time went on, I waited with anticipation as the date we would go back came closer, only to have it extended time and time again. It wasn’t easy, coming so close to normality, only to have it pushed back again.

Then came the fateful day where school was called off for the rest of the academic year.

That was a hard day for all the seniors. While I can’t say it was entirely unexpected, it still hurt, knowing that we would never walk the halls of Spring-Ford Area High School as students again.

It also meant my in-person graduation would now be virtual, along with my college orientation. 

Saying goodbye to all these events was extremely difficult and isolating, stuck in my house mourning the loss of the “fun part” of my senior year.

However, what I came to realize was that our community scarcely backs down in the face of adversity. On the contrary, we are resilient, coming up with innovative ideas that help combat the isolation and sadness of this new reality.

Events moved online, like the Decision Day and Impact Awards, but that did not stop Spring-Ford from making them special.

 A special message from Mrs. Benner preceded a slideshow of Decision Day photos, showcasing the seniors in all our successes. Personalized videos from teachers in the Impact Awards video made everyone feel loved and appreciated, despite being separate.

In the community as well, people are showing remarkable resilience.

On Easter, my neighborhood organized a “distancing Easter egg hunt,” where all the neighbors put decorated paper eggs in their windows and the kids could walk around and count how many they found. We also had an “Animal Hide-and-Seek,” where everyone hid a stuffed animal in their windows for walkers to find.

Parents have also organized parades for the seniors, driving by and honking as the Class of 2020 gets to see all the people who appreciate them.

Friends have “social distance birthdays,” where groups come in their separate cars and spend time together, at a distance of course.

It just shows that even in the face of hardship and unrest, people can bounce back, creating memories and events that hold a special place in our hearts.

I can’t say this is exactly how I envisioned my last year at Spring-Ford, but the school and the community ensured that despite the circumstances, we would be resilient and we would feel special.