“It's tough.”
That was the general response from some of Hutchinson High School's seniors dealing with the reality that there will be no spring sports season, no prom and no graduation ceremony, at least not in the traditional sense.
Gov. Tim Walz last week announced an executive order shutting down schools for the rest of the year. Shortly after Walz’ announcement, the Minnesota State High School League officially announced the 2019-20 spring season was canceled, ending any hope for an abbreviated season
The announcement may not have come as a surprise, as Walz had hinted in earlier press conferences that it was unlikely schools would reopen as the state continues to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. But it was still difficult news to take for the Hutchinson seniors losing the final months of their high school lives.
“It'd be a different story if it was your freshman, sophomore, junior year where you know you could come back next year,” Tyler Schiller, co-captain of the baseball team, said. “But being my senior year, it's definitely a super hard pill to swallow. You know you can't go back and you can't do anything about it. … Baseball is one of those things where I've put a lot of time into it. I put in a lot of time in the winter. Just for it to be taken away, in what seemed like not even a week, it all just happened. I invested so much time into it. It's just snatched away from me like that.”
“We're dealing with something that's unprecedented in my lifetime,” Hutchinson High School Principal Rob Danneker said. “We certainly don't want to overlook the loss that comes from something of this nature, loss of opportunity. At the same time, I am extremely proud of our seniors and the flexibility they've shown in transitioning to distance learning. I'm heartened by the resiliency that they've shown dealing with our current scenario. … I think our seniors have shown why they are the individuals that they are, and the characteristics that they have displayed here for four years, despite the obstacles that have been faced in front of them.”
A handful of spring sports, such as softball and track and field, had already started practice before Walz issued his first stay-at-home order March 13, suspending the spring activities season.
“Track season ended last year and I was super excited for the following year to get back at it again. I’ve been looking forward to it ever since,” said Lydia Gross, co-captain of the girls track and field team. “Then when I get back from spring break, I was going to go practice Monday. But then, that's when everything shut down. 'OK, we'll start up again in a couple of weeks, everything will be fine.' And then everything just kept getting pushed back further and further. … It's been hard, but I've been able to realize that I'm not the only one.”
Another big moment in most students’ lives is senior prom. The high school was cooperating with the Crow River Winery to set up a date in late May to reschedule prom, according to Danneker, but that is now a moot point.
“Last year was my first time at prom and I loved it,” said Kendra White, co-captain of the softball team. “So all of my friends of mine, we all got our prom dresses in like February, not expecting it to not happen.”
As for graduation, June 5 was the scheduled date at the high school. The biggest milestone in any senior’s life is walking across the stage and receiving a diploma after many years of hard work. Danneker said that the school is working to make sure that there will be some sort of ceremony.
“We're going to try as hard as possible to maintain that date in some way shape or form,” Danneker said. “What shape that would take will be determined by what comes next in terms of the pandemic situation we're dealing with, as well as the governor's executive orders.”
The school and the district have been communicating to families with updates about the school's plans in response to Walz’ orders. Walking at graduation is the culmination of years of work put in to earn. Receiving that diploma in the mail or through a PDF just doesn't carry the same weight and pride as walking on the stage and having it handed to you.
“It's going to be tough without it,” said Blake Schmidt, another co-captain of the baseball team. “To be able to walk after all the work you've put in your whole childhood going for the diploma. And not being to receive that in person, that's the tough part.”
“That's another hard thing for me,” Gross said. “Am I going to have to send out little announcements in the mail for my graduation or not have a party? I don't know, it's just kind of sad.”
While the situation is difficult, these seniors are remaining optimistic about the future ahead of them. And while they won’t be able to enjoy some moments of their senior year, there are still many more memories they will make. This is new world for everyone, so they are always trying to look on the bright side of life.
“Stay as hopeful as you can,” Schiller said. “Everything is not totally out of the question yet. But you just got to stick through it and, you know, eventually, something's going to work out in the end.”
