Imagining going to school for years and looking forward to your highschool graduation as one of the important events in your life. It’s a sign of accomplishment and signifies the start of adulthood. 

But thanks to coronavirus you can no longer experience these events. 

Coronavirus was just a disease believed to have started and contained in China but fast forward to now, a third of the global population is on lockdown urging individuals to self-isolate. 

Counties were forced to take action as confirmed cases sprang up throughout California. Taken into effect on March 16, the city of Los Angeles ordered entertainment venues, gyms, bars and dine-in restaurants to close in order to flatten the curve on the Coronavirus. 

Despite LAUSD schools initially given two weeks off starting March 16, students felt mixed feelings upon being informed that schools would remain closed for the rest of the semester. Some students felt relieved to work from the comfort of their homes while other students were angered, especially seniors. 

The cancellation of our graduation and other senior events was disheartening to the class of 2020 but some of my peers didn’t give up easily. Two students started a petition to reschedule the senior events, especially prom. With a goal of 500, the petition currently has 210 signatures. 

“In light of other high schools’ responses in our area showing their understanding and willingness to fight for their graduating class–we can only ask the same from the school we have grown to love over these past 4 years. Prom is an event easily pushed back, and completely in the hands of Van Nuys Staff to be able to reschedule. These memories last a lifetime, and should not be given up so easily,” the students have written in the description of the petition. 

So far there has been no response or acknowledgment of the petition by school administrations. 

I didn’t plan on attending any of the senior events so I don’t feel I have lost anything from the cancellation of the events. However, I do understand the excitement my peers had to attend them. For some of them, they are their parents’ oldest or only child which makes these senior events a milestone not only for themselves but for their families too. For others, graduation symbolizes that hard work pays off. 

School administration chose to put our safety first by cancelling these events but they shouldn’t lay the planning of these events to rest entirely. Even though we don’t know how long it will take until things get better or if it will get better at all, a re-planning of these events is only right. 

Senior class President Jennifer Lee brought relief to the class of 2020 by issuing a statement on the senior board Instagram page. 

“My board and I are still trying our best to see if we can host these events. Our purpose was to make your last few months exciting and we want to make sure we tried everything before stopping,” she writes. 

While we all await updates on our events, the best we can do is help flatten the curve and we can do this best by practicing social distancing.