Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an Executive Order today that schools will remain closed for the 2019-2020 school year. Schools are to continue their online learning that they started in late March. This is a major deal for students everywhere because they don’t get to live out their final days of the year. This is a historic time and students need to cherish every moment.

For the seniors, there were many more memories to be made before graduation, but it was cut short because of the unstoppable epidemic. Seniors should appreciate what they have been through and the memories made. No one could have expected this to happen, and everyone feels for the seniors out there. It is important to keep your head held high and keep living because that is the only thing seniors can do right now.  The rest of the school year may have been cut short, but it doesn’t mean living was. Students cannot let this define who they are, but let this be an eye-opening experience.  

Every student deserves more, but that isn’t always how the world works all the time. All students are earnest and careful, yet things are inevitable. Everyone must take what they have and let it push them to be better.  Everyone has done their job right and did everything they could. Now this should not be a constraint. Let this moment elevate people to a higher place. The world is making history, that one day will be put in the books. Each staff, student, and worker have done nothing wrong, but everything right to make decisions for people to be safe. 

To all the students who feel discouraged, keep moving forward. Finish the year out with a bang. This is a moment to never be forgotten,  so everyone might as well make the best of it. Students get to do their work on their own time, and there is no teacher hovering over them. It is up to every student to take responsibility to complete their assignments.  

Of course there were memories made this school year so let’s take all of them, round them up, and let’s keep them close to our hearts. The endless sport games, the pep rallies, joking around in the classroom, the lunch room or the passing periods in the hallways; treasure those experiences. Wildkats are strong – so much stronger than this,  so if anyone feels discouraged just go back to that memory that can’t be forgotten; smile and share the love. It is momentous to delight in the memories made as a Wildkat because Wildkats never die.