Coronavirus Impacts Many Traditional Events

By Sarayu Cheemalapati

COVID-19, or more commonly known as the coronavirus, has been spreading rapidly in the past month within the United States. As cases and deaths rise, Council Rock schools and all schools in the state of Pennsylvania have officially closed for the rest of the 2019-2020 academic school year to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, forcing staff and students to continue education through online resources.
 
Although academics have been altered due to this pandemic, many other events that were of high importance were cancelled as well. Many of these events had special importance to the graduating class of 2020.

​This year was supposed to be the peak year of the seniors’ high school experience, considering it is their final year before moving on. Special events were planned to accomplish this, such as prom, the Disney trip, and, most importantly, graduation. 
 
Prom is one of the biggest school dances of the year. There are two of them: one for the juniors, and one for the seniors. Both of them were cancelled because of the number of students attending, which is a risk because of the spread of the ongoing pandemic.
 
Senior prom is a time for seniors to celebrate their past and be excited for the future as their high school years draw to a close.

“Prom gives you kind of a surreal feeling, especially for people like me who aren’t used to getting dressed up all fancy,” says cross-country senior Caroline Gallen, “Seeing all your friends looking so confident and getting to spend a night of fun dancing with them really makes you feel special.” 
 
Additionally, the Disney trip, originally scheduled for April, was for the seniors to relive their childhoods again before leaving high school. As of right now, there is no word for whether it is completely cancelled or postponed. The risk of travelling currently is dangerous, due to the pandemic. Other students worry about the future of this trip, as well, but Anna Cairone, the junior class president, remains optimistic that this current crisis will not affect the future of Disney trips.
 
Finally, one of the most important events that is being affected due to the coronavirus is the 2020 graduation proceeding. This ceremony is to present seniors with their diploma and is the final event before leaving high school. Like the Disney trip, currently the fate and form of this year’s graduation remains uncertain, but an in-person graduation seems unlikely.
 
Graduation is such an integral part of high school that even the underclassmen of Council Rock North are talking about this.
 
“This is something they [the seniors] will always remember. It [the coronavirus] came on so unexpectedly that they just didn’t get that chance to say goodbye. I just think that will impact their memory of it [graduation],” states freshman Kathleen Morton.
 
We, as a district, understand the problems being faced with this sickness going around the nation. Although senior year did not end as planned, we wish all the success and happiness to our graduating class as they navigate the uncharted waters of adulthood. 
 

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