Snyder High School seniors deal with COVID-19

The Coronavirus outbreak has been the cause of shut-downs at many businesses throughout the country and beyond, with Texas governor Greg Abbott declaring a state of emergency last Thursday. Because of this, all schools in the state of Texas must shut down until April 3, at least. While some students may be happy with schools closing and doing their work online, there are many who will be missing the experience of school; specifically their senior year.
 “I can’t say that I ever saw the outbreak getting bad enough to cancel school,” Caitlyn Crane, a senior at Snyder High School, said.
Because of the cancellations, Snyder ISD will now teach through to online classes until it is deemed safe to return to school.
 “I’m not really looking forward to this because for me, personally, I’m not good with online classes. I’ve taken WTC dual credit classes online, and they weren’t my best grades. I mean, I did okay and everything, and I learned some things, but I do feel like I learn better with a teacher in the room with me,” Crane said.
Online classes aren’t the only thing that Crane and other students have been worrying about. Many extracurricular activity contests have been cancelled or postponed due to the outbreak. Crane, who is involved with golf, one-act play, choir and journalism is worried that she may have already experienced her last moments with these events.
“I’m involved in so much, and I’ve worked really hard in all of the organizations that I’m with, and I want to take advantage of the opportunities that they give me. I want to go to state this year, even though I’ve been in the past for one-act and UIL journalism, because it’s my senior year, and it would be a really good way to end everything. I also have already qualified to go to the state contest for choir solo and ensemble, so I really hope that doesn’t get cancelled,” Crane said.
Students have expressed similar feelings about the cancellation of UIL events across the state. A petition for the UIL to postpone the competitions rather than cancel them has already gained 6,517 signatures on Change.org.
Crane said another concern is the possible cancellation of senior activities and traditions, such as the senior steak supper, prom and graduation.
“I’m going to be pretty upset if prom gets cancelled. I already have my dress and it’s been altered and everything. I’ve been ready for prom for about a week. I’ve been looking forward to it, so I’m hoping it still happens. I mean, I have this big dress that I’m never going to have the chance to wear if it gets cancelled. But, if it does, it’s not like a ton of money is going down the drain, but it’s still some money going down the drain.”
“I’m also really hoping that all of the senior activities and traditions don’t get cancelled. I have a lot of older friends, and they always talked about how the spring semester made their senior year. If these events get cancelled, there’s going to be a lot of moments that the seniors will never get to experience, and it’s really sad for me to think about,” Crane said.
“I remember when we did the senior walk across the football field after the last home game. I told myself that I wasn’t going to cry that night because I was going to save it for the end of the year. And now I’m thinking, ‘What if the end of the year already happened?’” she said. 
Despite the disappointment of missing out on traditions and classes and UIL events possibly being canceled, Crane believes that the school district made the right choice to close schools and move to an online format.
“It has been really difficult and kind of upsetting, having to have at least part of your senior year taken away from you, but I think that this was the best decision that the school district could have made. I mean, it would have been pretty bad to have continued school and then have the possibility of an outbreak here. They have been very transparent and have been making sure to keep us updated on everything that is going on right now. It’s a really stressful situation for everyone involved, and I think the district has done a good job. Especially since everything has been developing so quickly,” Crane said.