Dear Class of 2021...

To my fellow Seniors of the Class of 2021,

We’re about to go into completely uncharted territory, we’re making history. I hope this article finds you well as the school year begins and we are filled with uncertainty.

Around this time last year we were impatient Juniors who just wanted to get the 2020 school year over with. We were too distracted with TikTok, Instagram and our social lives to actually make the most of what would eventually turn into our last “normal” year of high school. Little did we know that our time would come soon enough and that everything (and I mean everything) would change. I don’t know about you, but it’s been hard for me to think about college and the years to come amongst all this. For one, I don’t have any test scores to send to colleges yet, and how am I supposed to choose the place I’m going to spend the next 4 years at if I can’t go visit it? Not to mention, our rather unconventional summer is coming to an end. It’s true the class of 2020 might have lost their traditional graduation but we’re losing just about everything, at least as of now.

Now, enough with the sadness. Yes, we’re in a pandemic but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a good Senior year and I guarantee you whatever we do, IT WILL BE MEMORABLE. Among all this uncertainty, here’s what I do know: We are going to kick this pandemic’s ass and have a great Senior year (while still being safe of course). We will create a “new normal” and execute it perfectly. By the end of the year we will have learned not only what our teachers will teach in their classes but also how to be resilient young people through a difficult time. Remember, you are not alone! Not to quote High School Musical but “We’re all in this together!”

For the time being, the only thing we can do is make the most of this crazy time we are living in! You can make this year, YOUR YEAR! Here are some tips to help you stay positive:

• Spend some time outside! Soon it’ll get cold and then we will really be stuck inside. So get outside and breathe some fresh air. If you have classes on Zoom you could even try to do one outside!

• Keep a journal of things you’re grateful for! It is scientifically proven that displaying gratitude can improve someone’s mood.

• Keep in touch with your friends. No matter how hard it might be to not be able to see them everyday, we all have phones and social media. Check in with your friends at least once a day, it will make you feel better and you might change their day for the better as well!

20, 30, 40, even 50 years from now we'll look back and hopefully laugh about this situation. We’ll attend high school reunions and reminisce about our Senior year amongst a pandemic. We’ll find pictures of us wearing masks on the first day of school, socially distant classes and gatherings. We’ll tell stories, and share moments. This worldwide event has brought our generation together in a way that has never happened before. Not only are we in the middle of a pandemic but we are experiencing horrible acts of injustice, dealing with extremely dangerous natural disasters, and even one of the most important election years to ever exist. Our generation is unstoppable. We can make it through if we stick together. Let’s make history this year.

Caption: (From left to right) Seniors Hannah, Nell (a co-owner of Deja Vu) and Charlie visiting tourist spots in Seattle and practicing "Corona consciousness" by wearing their masks!