Following the cancelation of the remainder of the school year (that seems to have happened way long ago), there are now

many concerned seniors wondering how the graduation ceremony, prom, and other events will be executed. 

Since the pause of the school year on March 13th, prom has been canceled, Grad Night is postponed indefinitely, and commencement is now being live-streamed.

Most seniors are disappointed in what feels like a lost school year but are also thankful for everything various groups have done to try and make up for the missed experiences. 

“Though I am disappointed that prom and graduation were postponed indefinitely or canceled, I am thankful for the parents, ASB, and community members who are trying to recognize us and make us feel celebrated,” Senior Ava Wright said about finishing high school during a pandemic. “While graduation is now taking place through a live-streamed Youtube video, I hope that other senior events, such as grad night, can be hosted on platforms, like Zoom, that allows for us to interact with our peers again.”

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic that closed nearly everything in town, the Associated Student Body has done things like turn on the lights at Doc Harris, for example. On April 17th, the lights at Doc Harris lit up at 8:20 pm (which is 20:20 in military time) as a nod to this year’s graduating class. ASB also created a Camas High School Seniors Instagram account which showcases a handful of seniors every day with their post-secondary plans.

The Grad Night Council is also currently arranging to deliver every senior a graduation yard sign with their name on it, while staff and admin of CHS made Youtube videos showing their support to students.

Beyond graduation, prom, and other senior events, much of the Class of 2020 now wonders how the incoming fall term of university will play out. There has been much speculation about whether schools will be open, and many of the summertime events for newly admitted students, such as orientation, have already been canceled. Schools across the country have even extended their commitment deadlines from May 1st to June, or even as far back as September. For seniors not going to college next year, there remains just as much uncertainty.

In regards to finishing the rest of the 2020 school year, Camas School District Superintendent, Dr. Jeff Snell wants all 12th graders to know that the fight for in-person, senior events is not over. “We are committed to having a graduation ceremony, whether that means summer or fall,” Dr. Snell said.