The class of 2023 will say their farewell today, their last day of school. Many seniors are saddened, excited, confused, and just ready to move on to their next chapter in life once they graduate on Saturday morning.  

All four years of high school have been quite different for each and every senior that has been along for the journey here at West. Freshman year, the year was cut short due to Covid-19. Sophomore year was hybrid, switching days until the end of the year where everyone was back together. Junior year was going back to normal, but the year ended a month early because of construction for the new building and asbestos that everyone was breathing in… Now senior year is coming to an end, the first semi-normal year of high school for this class. 

Many are ready for it to all end today, earlier from everyone else and can’t be more excited to graduate to leave to start a new life. With seniors getting out early so they don’t have to take finals, many such as senior Allison Malson is asking, “Why do we get out early and ‘not do finals’ but still do finals the week before our last day? Doesn’t make much sense to me.”

Even with seniors having to do finals before their last day, many are saddened to leave the school and family they’ve built from the time they’ve spent here at West. Some have friendships with underclassmen and are dreading the day they won’t be with them at school after Monday. Senior Janessa Yurkovich is best friends with junior Tori Wells and they’re both not ready for school to end and graduation, knowing this will be their last school year together until they part ways. “I don’t want to leave. It makes me so sad that I won’t be able to see her at school again and just ending this chapter in life I never knew would end so fast,” Yurkovich said.