As we all know, the year 2020 took an unexpected turn, which left many feeling hopeless and upset with the state of the world. What was built up to be an exciting year for the class of 2021, with prom, senior activities, foreign exchanges, and of course–graduation, turned out to be Zoom meeting upon Zoom meeting. For the seniors at Scituate High School, the past year has been anything but ordinary. Talking with just a few seniors, the disappointment in seeing what opportunities have been stripped away during these times is evident.

SHS senior Megan Schneider expressed her disappointment in missing out on the typical senior activities that are crucial to having a memorable last year of high school. Debatably even more heartbreaking, she was let down when her summer trip to Scotland with her friends was canceled. Schneider remarked, “That trip had been planned for a while. We were all disappointed that we weren’t able to visit.” By the end of this year, Schneider hopes she will participate in a few senior activities before leaving Scituate behind for college. She is “unsure whether or not these hopes will be realistic or not, but if the vaccine goes out as planned they should be at least somewhat possible.”

Fellow senior Luke Greene had a similar experience: his trip to California to visit his aunt and tour his top schools was unable to happen. “We weren’t able to travel, and being on a plane and the other side of the country just wasn’t safe–and it still isn’t.” Nevertheless, Greene has a positive attitude for the new year. He hopes by spring, life will return to some normalcy, and he will be able to see his friends.

Carly Villa, a senior at SHS, comments on the disappointment she feels not seeing the colleges she is interested in attending. With schools all over the country shut down, many students’ plans for college have been changed. Villa also expressed her dissatisfaction with missing prom–an experience every high schooler should have. In the new year, Villa hopes for something different in 2021: “Just being healthy overall and spending less time on my phone.” She feels as though this goal is definitely achievable, and by December, Villa will be in college and enjoying her career path.