Dear Seniors,
If there is one word to describe these past few months of 2020, the chosen word would be unpredictable. We all kept collectively saying that as long as we would give up a “normal” summer, then we would have a “normal” senior year. There were so many hypotheticals and imaginary scenarios of us returning back to campus, the Grape being packed to full capacity, and the Point being swarmed every Saturday for darties with the whole school. Personally, I had no idea what to expect, but I knew I had to quickly lower my high expectations for what I thought our senior year at Fairfield would look like. Instead, we have entered a year full of unknown circumstances, random COVID-19 testing, social distancing, and online classes.
The past month has definitely been a whirlwind of emotions and experiences. It is okay to be disappointed, angry, upset, and confused. Every beautiful and sunny Saturday that passes, I cannot help but think, “what if it was a normal year?” or “imagine what a normal Saturday here would be like right now?” Even though I have these thoughts, every Saturday that has passed I am so happy and I still have fun with my friends. It is okay to be angry about what is happening and it is okay to be disappointed that senior year so far has been far from normal. In reality to what other people have lost during this pandemic, mourning the loss of our senior year of college is not the end of the world. When we put our common loss into perspective, it makes us as a senior class feel very small. From being at the Seagrape when it was packed with blasting music, to now where we are restricted to a singular table is just depressing, but sitting around a table singing Valerie with my best friends while we down house shot after house shot is a memory unique to us and not shared with anyone else. Yes we are stuck at a table, but we are stuck at a table talking and getting closer than I ever imagined. I think it is necessary to take time to mourn the loss of all the seniors events (fall ones, can’t speak for spring yet). It is also okay to be confused about what you want to do after graduation and it is okay to not have your shit figured out yet. It is a global pandemic, nobody has their shit figured out.
With all the loss we have experienced, I know I have experienced a lot of love and a lot of wholesome memories that mean a lot more to me than any night out at the Grape or any darty day on the Point. I have been witnessing my two groups of best friends become one huge friend group and grow even closer than I even imagined happening. Beach walks, disposable pictures with indispensable memories, Tik Tok dances, Sunsets, Sunday dinners, 12 mimosas at brunch, swims in the sound, weird conversations, and beach days. I do miss in person classes, but online learning is definitely the safer option this semester. A bright side is if things were normal, I do not think I could confidently say I took a swim break in the Sound with my friends during the first week of classes. I wonder if our teacher noticed we were soaking wet when we popped back in to say thank you. Lol.
You are probably reading this right now and asking yourself, “What is the point of this?” The point is find your silver lining. Find your people and make the most out of the weirdness. Make events out of everything; go to the sunset, over do it for a friends birthday, and take a shit ton of pictures when you go out to brunch with your friends. It is still our last year of college and this is still our one year left of true freedom. The only thing we have right now is the current moment, our friends, and our health. Don’t take your health or your friends' health for granted.
“I feel like having the horizon in view everyday is a constant reminder that the possibilities are endless and bountiful”- Eleanor Davis, Editor in Chief
Stay healthy and happy.
Love,
Allison Isola