We asked several area residents to write about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please see Pages 7A and 8A for more. - The editor
Being a high school senior in quarantine has presented some unique trains of thought, challenges, and difficulties to me that I definitely wasn’t expecting to come across during my senior year.
I’m Tate Radcliffe, a senior at Chandler High School and I’m writing to share some of my experiences throughout the course of these current events.
I’ve had the home stretch of my senior year along with all of the pomp and circumstance attributed towards senior week and graduation suddenly taken away from me. I’ve had a LOT more time on my hands which has allowed me to breathe and really think about the future ahead of me.
Despite all of the negative sides of quarantine, I have been able to see past them and make for myself new positivity to carry me through this part of world history.
I personally consider the beginning of the coronavirus response in the United States to be the Thunder/Jazz basketball game that was canceled minutes before starting on Wednesday, March 11, 2020.
It was shortly after this game that the NBA suspended its season, as well as pretty much every other large gathering for the foreseeable future. That next day, March 12, was the day before spring break and my last day walking the halls of Chandler High School as a student and I didn’t even know it.
Spring break started that following Monday when the State Superintendent extended spring break two weeks in response to the pandemic. I was actually a little optimistic about having a three-week spring break, I was granted permission by my band director to bring home the school’s vibraphone, which is basically a fancy xylophone, so I could use it throughout quarantine to continue to make music.
I am lucky enough to have lots of musical instruments to keep me busy, so I saw the extra couple of weeks as a time to better myself as a musician. The only real downside I saw of the extra time off was that my band and choir now had significantly less time to prepare for the state contests.
Both groups had qualified for state competition in the previous week at districts. Both groups were also looking at less prep time for their spring concerts. These concerts are basically what I live for as a high school musician.
Being a senior, these concerts would have been my last time to perform with these groups I had fallen in love with over my high school career. Then, on March 23, the State Superintendent decided it would be safest to close the school doors for the rest of the academic school year. This basically broke me. I had a really rough couple of weeks as I coped with the fact that my final installment and overall end goal as a high school student was taken out of my hands just as I was entering the home stretch of my senior year. Over time, I began to rationalize in my head. I started to pick myself up because this is the reality that I was dealt. I hate cliches, but life had given me plenty of lemons and it was my turn to make lemonade, lemon pudding, lemon tart, or whatever I wish to make of it. I then took advantage of my time, devoting my days to music and trying my best to enjoy myself.
By the first of April, I’d say I was basically okay with my unique circumstances. I had come to terms with my reality and I wasn’t really sad about it anymore. Was I disappointed? Yes. Did I mourn my losses? Yes. But grieving is a process. I couldn’t allow myself to stay there. There is no benefit in that. I chose to move on. However, at this point, I’m not sure I’d have it any other way.
With the excess of time on my hands, I started looking ahead at college. I will be attending Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas, majoring in aerospace engineering with the hopes of getting into the aviation industry after graduation. WSU has been very active in creating virtual opportunities for its future Shockers, one of which included joining a social media platform that’s designed to help college students connect.
I, being very bored, decided to hop on this platform and see what all it had to offer. I very quickly met a number of people my age that are dealing with similar issues as I am, and I’ve already made a friend on there that I’ve gotten to know really well and I’m sure we’ll be very close for the years to come. I also began all of the college-related shopping for my dorm room and other college things. That has kept me occupied for some time now.
This mess that quarantine has proven to be very interesting to watch unfold firsthand. I know for a fact that this is going to be in history books. At the very least, my kids are going to ask me what the COVID-19 outbreak of 2020 was like at some point. Just as I have asked my parents what it was like when 9/11 happened. What has happened in the past few months to our country and the world has been very difficult.
Condolences to those who have lost jobs, opportunities, and family members because of it. I thank all of the essential workers, the health experts, as well as the Americans who are staying at home to protect those who are putting themselves in harm’s way.
The awareness of these losses has given me a much better perspective on my own losses. At the end of the day, you have to take what you have been given and make something better out of it. In time, the economy will heal, the public will be safe again.
The NBA will have more games, the schools will open, and toilet paper will be on the shelves.
In time, all will be normal, until then, continue to have hope and find that thing that allows you to keep going.