By Ashley J. Pegues
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
For the second year in a row, many high school seniors in Prince George’s County won’t be able to enjoy traditional school events like graduation and prom.
Usually, during May, many seniors are getting ready for their upcoming prom and graduation, which is their moment to feel special about themselves. But this year is different.
“It sucks that I am not able to fully experience my senior year,” said Tyler Morse, a senior at Bishop McNamara High School.
Ever since freshman year, Morse has always wanted to experience the perks of being a senior in high school. He knew that being a senior was something special, but that was all taken away from him once the pandemic hit.
“What I miss most is interacting with my friends and having a locker, ” he said. “The reason I miss having a locker is that when you’re a senior, your locker is in the main hallway of the school. It feels like a form of higher status. Ever since freshman year, I knew that I was going to be there one day, but that didn’t happen because we all went home last March in my junior year.”
Morse thought it was so cool to have a locker in front of everybody. For him, it was a sign letting the rest of the school body know that he was a senior.
“It just felt like seniors had a lot more freedom than the underclassmen,” he said.
“And that’s what I kind of miss the most.”
As the senior administrator at Surrattsville High School, Monique Jeffery was heartbroken to find out that another senior class will miss out on so many opportunities.
Because of COVID-19, many seniors could not participate in the actual festivities of celebrating their four hard years of high school.
“Sadly, we don’t get a chance to celebrate some of our finest scholars,” Jeffery said. “What also makes it sad is that for some students, you know having that moment of getting dressed up can be the last time they dress up like that.”
Morse’s mother, Michelle, was sad that he could not fully experience his senior year.
“Some of the things that I am sad about is him not overall being able to go to school and be with his peers and sharing this big year with them,” she said. “Usually, as a senior class, they would have special meetings and events and do other activities that help the class bond in their last year of high school.”
During this specific year for any senior, they can have certain privileges not given to any other grade level.
“Senior privileges at Bishop McNamara like wearing a more casual version of the uniform, being able to have a free class period, and going on senior trips are clearly reminders of the status that these students are at the top of the food chain, and I think that does something for them,” Michelle Morse said.
This experience is something different compared to 9th, 10th, and 11th grade. Highlighting and focusing on the seniors does little things to show them that they are moving along.
Going through the last three years of high school shows that there are leaders of the school.
“The idea is there to make you feel like, okay, maybe it gives you that boost that I am a leader and that we are at the top and that our class is the best,” she said.
Though things can significantly impact a student’s life, whether being in high school or college, she hopes that it is not the last stop for them along the way.
“The changes to the usual school routine resulting from the pandemic don’t mean life stopped or that life is bad,” Michelle Morse said. “It just means that you might miss your prom and your senior year looked different than that of the seniors who came before you. I hope the students who are experiencing this will become more resilient as they move forward.”
While it might seem that all hope is gone for Tyler Morse’s senior year, he crosses his fingers in the hope of still having a graduation ceremony in May.
Unlike some other schools, Bishop McNamara is still keeping the graduation tradition, although it might differ from in past years.
“Graduation is the best for me because it is the next stage of moving on in life,” he said. “It’s a big step forward, and I think it would be more impactful if we could do it in person.”