For two years – much longer than most people can say – I have served as the head editor for Titan Tribune. For even longer, I have been writing, both recreationally or academically. But no amount of words, no rhetorical device, and no polished piece of writing will ever be able to properly convey the overwhelming emotion of the last few months.

I will attempt to make sense of this situation.

When I became the editor, I knew exactly what I was getting myself into, or so I thought. Never in a million years did I imagine having to write something of this nature – this magnitude, especially as my final article.

But planning only goes so far.

For every event that we plan – sports, plays, proms, and graduation – we plan against life. For everything we plan to accomplish – becoming a professional athlete, a doctor, an engineer, an actor – we plan against life.

It appears life has its own plan now, one which is far beyond our control.

Why a coronavirus needed to show up, especially now of all times, is anyone’s guess. How it started is even more baffling to me. I mean, honestly, bats? Really? Come on.

Any little problem we had before – a test, going to work, social drama over “he/she said this and so-and-so did this” – doesn’t matter in the slightest anymore. In a larger lens, which has only been magnified by the coronavirus, any little problem or complaint we had was overall inconsequential and insignificant.

We have all been thoroughly tested by this virus. There are some friends we haven’t seen since the last time we were in school. There were sports that still needed to be played. There were clubs that weren’t ready to let go of its senior members. There were still proms to be enjoyed and a graduation to be remembered forever.

Perhaps the worst part is the constant, exhausting uncertainty. When do we get back to normal life? When do we get to see all of our friends, whom we have made countless memories with throughout high school? When will we be able drive around with friends on a warm, care-free night, windows down and music blaring, going who knows where? When?

I do know this much.

Whenever normal life returns, or some version of normalcy, we will have a deeper appreciation for life. We will appreciate sitting at a desk at 7:30 am. We will appreciate getting in our cars and driving to any place we want. We will appreciate our activities, whether it be sports, the play, art, science, newspaper, politics, math, whatever. We will appreciate working at our job, no matter what it may be. We will appreciate the time we spend hanging out, laughing, and celebrating with our friends and loved ones.

Maybe this quarantine has felt like prison, or some unbearable nightmare. But I would hope you haven’t spent the entire time sulking.

Truthfully, we all needed a break, a chance to refocus and gain perspective on the life we have. Besides, when was the last time we sat down for a few hours with our family? Our busy schedules prevented it. It was school, activities/work, homework, then bed.

Now, more than ever, use this time wisely. Learn a new activity. Spend time with family. Workout and strengthen your body. Do something to improve yourself that your future self will thank you for later.

We’ve all wished for more time to do things. Well, here it is.

For all of the seniors of the class of 2020:

For 12 years, we worked tirelessly and persistently, overcoming challenge after challenge. These final three months were supposed to encapsulate everything that we have worked so hard towards.

You’ve probably experienced every emotion out there: a silent anger, puzzling confusion, overwhelming sadness and frustration, and moreover, simply a sense of helplessness. On March 12, we all comfortably jumped in our cars and drove home, fully expecting to have three more amazing months of senior year. We were in the home stretch.

Little did we know, that was our last day at CB South.

This certainly wasn’t the senior year we had hoped for. Growing up and saying good-bye were things that seemed so far away, but life has forced them upon us. The decision to cancel prom and virtualize our graduation has understandably been controversial. From a humanitarian standpoint, I don’t want to put myself or anyone else at risk for health issues. It’s just not in my capacity as a person to openly put other people in harm’s way.

But I’m also a high school senior. Like all of you, I’ve waited patiently and excitedly over the years in anticipation of senior prom and graduation.

We have been left with conflicting reactions.

What we are witnessing, what we are experiencing, and what we are feeling is historic on just about every level. When has a senior prom ever been canceled? Has a graduation for a class ever been moved online?

This situation is new for all of us. Ambiguity blurs the lines between what is right and what is wrong; there’s no definitive answer to all of this.

For that reason, it is vital now, more than ever, that we listen and devote ourselves to understanding others. We are all terribly upset; there’s no denying that. But this needs to be the time when we work together, think together, and feel together.

Rest assured, the 12 years of work we dedicated did not go to waste. Over that time, we have made new friends, traveled to new places, started new schools, and been accepted to college. Those years have shaped who we are at this very moment.

And they will lead us in overcoming this enormous challenge.

I hope one day in the future – when this coronavirus is eradicated forever – we will come together and celebrate our achievements properly. Remain steady and hopeful. I’m very fortunate to have met many of you, and I wish you all good health and good fortune. Whatever your goals and plans are for the future – attending college, entering the workforce, or joining the military – I give you this advice.

Act passionately.

If you aren’t passionate about anything, you will always be unsatisfied with your life. In college, be passionate about learning. As you play your sport, play passionately. When you get a job, do your job passionately. Most importantly, act passionately towards helping other people.

As we have experienced, the world isn’t always perfect. In making the world a better place, we need passionate people at the forefront of daily life. Passion is what makes life interesting.

As the chapter on my time at CB South ends, and for that matter my time as head editor of Titan Tribune, which I will cherish forever, my next chapter begins: college. I can only hope I will have just as much fun writing it.

Words have always provided me with a sense of comfort. For whoever reads this, for whatever it’s worth, I hope you find comfort in these words as well.