Dear seniors,

    Well this is a bit anticlimactic, isn’t it? After 12 years of learning together, side-by-side in rows, we now are concluding our high school careers at least six feet apart. We were robbed of what was supposed to be the time of our lives, and frankly it is not fair. We had big plans for this spring, and then came along the novel coronavirus. We are allowed to be frustrated, devastated and completely overwhelmed with the loss of our senior year. But it is not all bad. Now we have time to reflect on our lives and the great memories we made with each other at SPHS.

    Looking back, I think of how honored I was to serve on your student council and write for your newspaper. I hope that I succeeded as your vice president and served as a reliable source of information for all things SPHS, from uncovering the mystery behind our beloved Falcon mascot to ranking scrub basketball players. My unique perspective of the inner workings of this school and this grade only reminds me of how incredible the class of 2020 truly is. 

    Perhaps one of the most talented and well-rounded grades to ever walk through the halls of both SPHS buildings, the class of 2020 deserves a better farewell than a confusing and half-attended Friday in the middle of March. While the celebrations of our achievement remain uncertain, a magical recovery still seems to be sought after by the state superintendent who has not yet closed Maryland public schools beyond May 15. This optimism is not as reassuring as our leaders probably hoped it would be. Honestly, I wish we could just put a lid on what we have accomplished, move on and call it a day, and I am sure many of you agree. It is hard to feel heard when literally no one else in modern history has had their senior year spoiled by a global pandemic. I am getting tired of being disappointed and I am even more tired of not knowing when my last time with my friends will be, or if it already happened this past March. 

    Two weeks ago, I had to say goodbye to my best friend, Jake Shirey—you may have heard of him but probably not. He moved to Florida and thus began the goodbyes we will all soon be experiencing with our friends as we head off to the rest of our lives. Whether we get to celebrate or not, this is a huge turning point in our lives. It is more important for us than any other grade before us or to come to remember the magnitude of this moment. Without a formal send off, we have to push forward and move on with our lives without a pat on the back for conquering high school. No other grade could handle this situation as gracefully as we are, and I know that we can take on this challenge and graduate with our heads held high, regardless of the setting or even existence of our ceremony. 

Stay hopeful, class of 2020. There is still a lot more celebrating to come. Just wait until we are legally allowed to hang out with each other to do it. And until then, goodbye for now. 

Sincerely, Matt Mangano