A letter from your president during COVID-19

Dear Wahlert Student Body, 

All I want to say is, is that I know this sucks. The normal days that we are used to living have been turned completely upside down. I’m missing at least four weeks of my senior year or maybe even the rest of it. Some of you might love the idea that we don’t have to go back to school till April 13th. But some of us, specifically the seniors, are terrified that we will never walk the halls as high schoolers again.

Trust me, this situation is not ideal. Not starting spring sports practices on time, or no longer having rehearsals for the spring play is heartbreaking. Studying from home for AP tests is not the easiest thing to do. But I do know that we will get through this tough and crazy time together. 

COVID-19 was something that I didn’t predict for my senior year. I thought that I would be able to enjoy spring break with my friends and not spend my week off cooped up inside of my house away from germs. I never thought that I would be missing out on so many things during what is supposed to be one of the most memorable years of my life. But besides the many and odd chores that my mother has been making me do, this time has given me time to reflect and appreciate many things.

I now know that I will never take school for granted again. Never will I dread waking up at 6:45 a.m. to go to school surrounded by all of my friends. I will never take for granted being taught face-to-face by teachers who love and care about me. I appreciate the hard work that teachers put into lesson plans now more than ever. This time away has made me appreciate my education and experience at Wahlert. 

I have been able to slow down and spend more time with my family. Danny might disagree, but I love being able to just hang out with my family, because I will be leaving in a few months, at least I hope I will. This time away allows me to welcome my family into my life more than I usually do, and I think that is a positive of this whole awful situation. Understanding that this situation is bad is one thing, but turning those negatives into positives is something that will make a difference over these next few weeks. 

That sleep that I have been wanting to catch up on for years? I have finally been able to catch up on that and fix my sleep schedule that has been messed up for years. Another positive to the negative.

Not seeing my friends for quite some time has also made me appreciate the friendships I have. Communicating face-to-face is much more important to me than snap chatting back and forth. And I will for sure think about my screen time more once I get back to my old reality.  

It does break my heart to think that I might not ever go back to school. I want my final day at Wahlert, my senior prom, and my walk across that graduation stage. This may not happen for me and the rest of the Class of 2020, not only at Wahlert but across the country. So while, yes, this sucks for everyone, the seniors are struggling with this a lot more than others. 

I do hope that COVID-19 goes away soon, and we can resume our normal, healthy lives outside of our homes. But I do know that distancing and isolation are what we need to do for the health of our community. The health of our family and friends are much more important than anything else. So don’t freak out too much. Time will pass, and life will return to normal. But before it does, take this time to do the things you never had time to do, catch up on sleep and spend time with your families. 

Sincerely,

Ashley Steele

Your Student Body President