2021: the year that has been on almost every t-shirt since kindergarten. Once clueless to what it meant, but now that it is here, it seems surreal. As the second semester begins, though, graduation seems painfully far away.

This year has been anything but normal. For seniors, it was finally the year to take the annual picture in front of Etowah with everyone wearing black. It was the year to lead the student body at football games while screaming louder than ever. It was the year to have one last homecoming dance. It was the year to have final sports banquets to say goodbye to a sport played our entire lives. It was the year to finally be able to say we are seniors, but one by one, traditions were banned, limited, or forgotten in the face of COVID-19.

“I expected so much for my senior year. It is so weird to not be able to get the things the other classes have gotten, but we can not do anything about it,” Tessa Liles, senior, said.

Many believe Senioritis is worse for our class than others because of the pandemic. While typical Senioritis is characterized by a loss of motivation simply as a result of the final year lagging on, our grade’s case has only increased because we have no fun traditions to keep us going. 

“Honestly I have Senioritis because with COVID, it is pretty easy to get good grades, so it is not hard to slack off a bit and have fun with sports and hobbies outside of school,” Nicholas Angelakos, senior, said. 

Whether one admits to suffering from Senioritis or not, there are different ways to combat it. It is normal to have a mental breakdown or two, but one can limit unnecessary stress and lack of motivation by creating a virtual study group, setting small goals, and remembering that college or trade school will begin very soon.

There are ways to still live out senior year. COVID has already ruined so many traditions, but do not let it take away the memories that will someday become “when I was your age” stories.