The alumni who have walked the halls before us have said that walking across the stage in front of everyone who has supported you along your journey is a feeling like no other. Unfortunately, right now, we seniors do not have a clear idea of whether we will have a traditional JC graduation. With the COVID-19 pandemic still going strong, many of our senior events up-to0this point have been either cancelled or postponed. As of press time, graduation is still scheduled for May 22nd, but many members of our class fear that there might not be a ceremony.

I know for sure that my classmates, as well as myself, have been looking forward to graduation since our first time walking through the doors as freshmen back in 2016. We have seen so many family members and friends walk across that stage with gleeful smiles each year. It would be heartbreaking for us not to experience that same happiness.

I know for a lot of my classmates, graduation was and still is our motivation to get through our days at school. It is the ceremony that celebrates and welcomes us into the next stage of our lives. We have worked so hard and have endured many long and tiring hours just to walk across the stage for five seconds. We have accumulated many service hours, written great quality term papers, worked on senior projects that have, unfortunately, been cancelled due to COVID-19, and participated in different facets of the school other than our normal classes. I also know a lot of my peers have worked hard towards earning themselves distinctions in particular fields to gain more knowledge and show their family and loved ones how hard they’ve worked over these last four years. The work that my classmates have put in over the last four years to have this ceremony is insurmountable.

Our families also look forward to the ceremony. Many travel from across the country and, in some cases, come from across the world just to see their child walk into the next phase of life. Without families in attendance, the ceremony would not be as special as it has been traditionally. Our families have invested in us, have sent us to a great private school, and have supported us along our journey, so, therefore, it is only right if they are in attendance because none of us would be walking across any stage if it wasn’t for their support.

Now, I know this pandemic is out of our control, as well as the school’s control; therefore, all we can do is wait and take precautions. I just hope that somehow and someway we can still celebrate this big part of our lives, even in the midst of this pandemic. The work we have put in and the time we have invested ourselves in would feel pointless if we did not have a ceremony. I am hoping that this event will remain the same, but at this point, nobody knows. What I do know is that the school will try and celebrate us no matter what.

Although this is beyond our control, we should find a way to keep the tradition alive, and I have hope that our school will do just that.