The Shoemaker Bugle

By Ximena Cabrera

It has officially been a year since every student in California went into quarantine on March 13, 2020. We were all told it would only take two weeks for everything to return back to normal, but it has been over a year, and we have not returned to school yet.

Multiple school events were completely cancelled, the graduation for the class of 2020 included. Now, seniors in the class of 2021 are starting to wonder if their graduation will be cancelled as well; or if, since schools are slowly opening, they will figure out a way for us to have an in-person ceremony. The school administration has been open to answer any questions the students have about the graduation or any other senior activities through scheduled interviews or via email.

After interviewing Mrs. Choi, one of the Vice Principals of John Glenn High, it was concluded that the school administration has not yet been determined if the class of 2021 will have an in-person graduation ceremony or any other senior activities. During the interview, Mrs. Choi said, “I would like to know what the students would prefer, and based on their votes we would go with that option, if it’s possible. This ceremony is for the seniors and their families, so I would like to hear from students and then go from there, obviously keeping safety in mind.” She is encouraging students to express their ideas with the school administration, since they are considering what the students would prefer, but they are also keeping their safety in mind (Feel free to add your voice here in the comment section).

Mrs. Choi also mentioned that they are planning on honoring the seniors with a Senior Awards Night. “We are planning on honoring the seniors with a Senior Awards Night. In terms of a format, we are not sure, but it probably won’t be anything in person.”

Based on the information Mrs. Choi gave to me, it is still possible for the seniors to have an in-person graduation and some of the senior activities, if they plan everything thoroughly and are allowed to do so. They could have the usual ceremony in the stadium, keeping all the students and staff six feet away from each other, and allowing only one or two family members per student. They could also split the class of 2021 graduation ceremony into two or three different groups so there are fewer people present in the stadium. The school administration could do a live stream during the ceremony so that the family members that were unable to witness the graduation in person could watch at home.

Several schools are opening once again with certain precautions, as well as theme parks such as Disneyland, and our local MLB stadiums. Local grocery stores, such as Stater Bros., have a limit of 195 people in the store, not including all their employees. The number of Covid-19 cases has drastically decreased in the past few months, and the amount of people getting vaccinated keeps increasing more each day. All of these examples are giving the seniors hope.

Ed. Note: The Bugle will update the graduation possibilities as soon as we hear anything new. Stay hopeful!