Shocked seniors disappointed with early dismissal
“It isn’t our first rodeo.”
March 30, 2022
The Class of 2022 could already describe their high school experience as less than normal. And then the school closed down early.
This week, news broke that assured the senior class would only have one year of normal high school which was way back in their freshmen year. First it was Covid, then it was quarters and now it’s asbestos in the roof.
The recent news of the shortening of the school year to April 29th shocked many senior students who were excited to be back in person with a fairly normal school year, even with the construction of the new school.
“It makes me kind of sad because it just reminds me of sophomore year when our year got shortened because of Covid and now it’s just the construction,” senior Eddie Hart said on Tuesday. “It isn’t our first rodeo.”
Hart said he is making the best of every moment in his current classes. “It just sucks because some of my classes I enjoy are losing two to three weeks and losing that time with classmates. The social aspect of school is getting cut short. It’s just two less weeks that I’m never going to see anyone here ever again and now I have two less weeks to make memories.”
When the announcement came, many seniors’ instant questions were about things eliminated during the Covid closure. What about finals? What about graduation? What about Prom? Will we ever catch a break from the irregularities from the past three years?
Greeley West staff has shared that all of those “final events” will happen as scheduled – somewhere. Prom is one for UNC on April 30. Graduation is also returning to UNC this year. Plans for yearbook distribution and senior barbecues are in the works.
Senior Sophia Montanez feels conflicted about the news “At the same time it’s nice because we are going to have an extra summer but we also know the workload is going to be doubled and there is going to be more pressure on us to finish earlier and to do better, we can tell teachers are stressed.”
Senior Landry Young said that she already feels stressed just a couple of days in. “We are going to be going out in stres;, it’s not going to be fun going out,” Young said. “Sometimes it just feels like the district couldn’t care less about us, this school has just burned me out and has made me so exhausted.”
She is sad it’s coming to an end this way. “It just feels wrong, most of these people I’m never going to see again and I was just expecting more time to say goodbye,” Young said.
Senior Kimmy Shanks feels rushed by the news. “I think planning-wise, too, we have to change a lot. We were planning a lot of senior stuff for May but now we have to rush it to April. I feel like it just messed up everyone’s plans,” Shanks said.
The timing and surprise also hurt the Class of 2022. “It was so last minute – there weren’t even any rumors about them about to change it. It was so sudden. It’s giving me Covid flashbacks,” Shanks added.
Many seniors, while disappointed, are grateful we aren’t returning to Covid -like policies. “I do appreciate that they aren’t making us transfer schools or making us do online school. We are finishing in our school, “Shanks said.
