Instead of spending my last months in Peachtree City as a traditional senior, I am planning my future through the computer screen.
The newest world pandemic, COVID-19, caused Georgia Governor Brian Kemp to issue an executive order to close all public schools, elementary, secondary and post-secondary through the end of the school year.
There are many McIntosh traditions that are not going to happen for my senior class. Our prom, our honors night, our baccalaureate, our shaving cream fight, our last walk down the hallways as a Chief, even our graduation was ripped from us in a matter of 24 hours. These are all traditions that, as of right now, we will not get to participate in. I am comforted to know the administration is trying, but during this time there really is nothing they can do to make those things happen. Sadly, the safety of their staff and students has to come before tradition.
For me, I watched my sister participate in all the traditions, so to have them taken truly hurts. I had a lot going on through what would have been my last week as a senior, but I was more excited than overwhelmed. My grandparents were supposed to be flying across the country for graduation, but no longer are. My sister was driving her family of 5 from Nashville to graduation to watch me walk across the same stage she did as a Chief, but now they aren’t even visiting.
As much as those traditions mean to me, there are other things this pandemic has done to my future. Colleges have followed alongside public schools and closed down their campuses. Therefore, colleges have no campus tours, events, orientations, anything really. That raises many questions for my future. How will I do orientation to get to know the campus more? How will I set up my classes? Will I even get to leave for college in August?
Georgia Southern, where I will continue my academic career, has already stated that orientations that were scheduled throughout June and July will be moved to an online platform. My future classes, my future home, my future counselor, and all those I will be involved with at Southern, I will have to meet and learn over a video camera.
Many colleges continue to come out and say they are working on virtual plans for the Fall of 2020 as well. If getting the end of your senior year ripped away from you was not enough, we may not get to leave for college in August. Planning my future college years over the computer was not a part of any of my plans for my future, but COVID-19 had different plans.