With April right around the corner, many seniors are wondering what’s happening with prom. Many of the seniors today had that same question last year when Covid-19 first hit our state and forced things to shut down; the only difference is, they were juniors at the time. It has been a full two years since the last time anyone had a prom or military ball (for those that are in JROTC), and many people are upset. Senior year is a time to make memories, whether that be taking the field one last time, getting awards for a club they’ve been a part of for the past four years, and take part in senior skip day.

Instead, they’re watching from afar, waiting for their Zoom classes to start, waiting to get cleared to go back to practice, waiting for a chance to make those memories. These next few months will be the last time many of us are in high school, the last part of us being able to be teenagers and have fun. Some will be going to college, some will go into the workforce, and some will go into the military; they’ll no longer be seen as teenagers but as adults. Yes, schools are back to doing two days in person for a specific group and then two days for the rest of the students, and that works for learning, but not for making memories.

Teachers are now at the first of the list for getting the vaccine, but that brings with it two great points – how soon can they get vaccinated, and when will students be able to. As of January 26, 2021, the latest news for teachers getting the vaccine is that as a whole state, we’re months away from having every teacher vaccinated because each county decides when to start vaccinating teachers. Even with teachers now being put on the top of the list, we’re nowhere closer to having a prom for seniors. We can also assume that students are at the bottom of the list for vaccines.

In conclusion, there will be no prom. For some, they’ll be able to take the field one last time for a home game; they’ll finally win that award they’ve been after for four years… But for all of us, there won’t be that shared memory of a senior prom. Instead, we’ll all share the memory of sitting home for eight hours, staring at our laptops.