High school seniors lament missing out on milestones
Tyler Klement doesn’t want to talk about it, doesn’t want to think about it. The coronavirus has already taken so much from him, the last thing he wants to do is give it more head space.
“It sucks,” Klement says bluntly, succinctly. “I hate it. Never thought I would say this, but yeah, I miss school.”
It’s not just school he’s missing either. Klement, a senior at Colby High, is that rare combination of speed and power. After falling just short of qualifying for the state meet last year, he was hoping to end his track career with an appearance at the state meet at La Crosse in May in the shot put and 100-meter dash.
The WIAA has not yet cancelled the spring sports season, but with each passing day the prospects of competing are looking smaller and smaller.
“Being a senior during all this really sucks . . . all the things I was really looking forward to are gone now,” Klement says, venting his emotions. “As an athlete I am super frustrated because I was looking forward to track all year . . . I put in a lot of work for this last year and it might have been for nothing.” Klement’s sentiments are shared not just in Central Wisconsin, but all across the country, as seniors from the Class of 2020 come to grips with the fact that they might not have a last chance to say goodbye to best friends and beloved teachers.
“Before this I just wanted to graduate and that’s all I looked forward to, but now with online schooling I really realized how much I took school for granted,” Colby senior Hannah Fehrenbach says.
Both the Colby and Abbotsford school districts closed on Monday, March 16, two days before Gov. Tony Evers shut the entire Wisconsin school system down on March 18 due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
“If I would’ve known that COVID-19 would ruin my senior year that Monday I would have hugged as many people as I could,” Colby senior Kersten Wiese says. “Not being able to see my friends, teachers and compete for show choir, I have shed many tears.”
Seniors everywhere are realizing that they may have experienced their last day in high school, and they may not get to have the experiences prior seniors enjoyed and consider a rite of passage.
“I really hope that graduation is not cancelled because that is a day my class has been working and looking forward to for the last thirteen years,” Abby senior Jayden Falteisek shared. “It’s crazy to think our last day of high school could’ve been in March.”
There’s a sense of loss, of something precious being taken from them, that hits this year’s seniors especially hard. For some it’s athletics, and for others, they feel a loss at not getting a chance to sing, dance and perform one final time.
“I feel like I have been robbed of both the end of my senior year and my track season,” Abby senior Blake Draper says.
Draper knows his track season is hanging by a thread, but for him, there’s a lot more than just track on the line, with prom and graduation ceremonies facing cancellation.
“If graduation were to get cancelled I would be upset but I would understand it,” Draper says with resignation. “My biggest issue is we have been working to walk that stage since we were little and get the same opportunity as everyone else who has graduated from here. We may not get that chance, which is sad.”
Prom in Colby has already been cancelled, and it’s something that has affected this year’s seniors and their circle of friends.
“With prom being cancelled I have become very upset at COVID-19 because I have loved getting all pretty for one night, and having the time of my life with my friends,” Wiese said. “Now that it is cancelled I don’t really know what to think anymore.”
Fehrenbach is also resentful towards COVID-19 and what it’s taken from her, but she’s doing her best to maintain perspective during this troubling time.
She understands that while it’s painful to miss out on so many special moments, others around the country and the world are dealing with far worse situations.
“I don’t necessarily feel like I myself have been robbed of something, but the whole world has,” Fehrenbach says. “Yes, it sucks for me, but it sucks even more for the people who don’t have as much stability as others and I can only pray for them and hope that it will get better.”
The Class of 2020 is doing their best to handle the situation, with some spending more time on homework, where instruction has shifted from in-person to online only.
“It’s kinda hard with online school,” Colby senior Hailey Voelker said. “I’m a face to face learner, and this online stuff is hard for me to understand and ask questions about the content.”
Like so many senior athletes, Voelker, a state qualifier two years ago in the long jump and triple jump, feels a double whammy from losing both her chance to compete and possibly walk the stage.
“As a senior I’m missing out on my last days of high school,” Voelker lamented. “As an athlete I am frustrated because it’s my last sport I can do at Colby High and I had a lot of expectations for myself this year. I have worked very hard for my family and friends to watch me walk across the stage at graduation and the fact that I might have that stripped away from me hurts deep down.”
Many seniors are doing their best to stay in shape in the hopes that they might have a spring sports season, even if it is shortened.
“I work out twice a day and usually throw in a run or speed workouts somewhere in there,” Draper says. “I’m trying my best to stay in shape even though I don’t think the season will resume.”
It’s not just their school life that is affected. Many seniors, especially those who served food, suddenly find themselves without a job. Others have seen multiple changes at their jobs.
“Currently I am classified as an essential employee,” says Fehrenbach who works at Kwik Trip. “We have lots of new cleaning rules to keep coworkers and people safe when walking in. We now have to manage the coffee and soda bar, so I get to work back there and be a barista for the people.”
Colby senior Alex Holtz is working more hours, which means more money, but with travel so restricted, he fails to see a silver lining to the extra cash.
“I can work more hours and get more money, but I can’t even spend the money I get, so is there really an upside to that?” Holtz wonders.
In the end, each senior is doing their best to stay positive as they cope with living in a world with COVID-19. This includes trying to learn new hobbies, or just catch up on movies and school work.
“I honestly think I have watched every single movie on Netflix,” Klement said. “I don’t even care if it’s a bad movie anymore.”
If there is one thing on display by the Class of 2020, it’s been their resiliency. While they are deeply saddened by their lost experiences, they are committed to doing what they can to help.
“My older siblings said the last few months of high school were the best few months of their lives, so it’s sad to see that being taken away from us,” Abby senior Maggie Seefluth says via Facebook. “Overall COVID-19 is something that should be taken seriously. All we as students can hope for is to keep everyone safe and healthy so we can get back to our normal school day and life activities.”
