Not the memories they anticipated: two seniors on school closing
Featured Stories April 7, 2020
Two seniors from Gordon Central High School talk about how the pandemic impacted their last year of school
CALHOUN, Ga–For the class of 2020, losing the last half of their last year, without the chance to make the memories previous classes talk about, like prom and graduation, is tough. While they understand the severity of the pandemic and realize that Governor Brian Kemp did the right thing by closing schools, the enormity of the situation extends past the numbers adding up at the Georgia Department of Health website. It extends into their futures.
Shaun Trammell, a senior at Gordon Central High School, said he’s doing good in school, despite the changing setting, but, it does have its drawbacks, he said.
“To be entirely honest, I wish we could go back to school,” he said. “I’m more a hands on learner and I’m really bored at home.”
Chandler Smith, another senior from Gordon Central echoes the sentiment. “I’m such a social person,” he said. While he says the online approach is the best option at the moment, he said it’s hard for him to learn via computer and has opted instead to use the paper packets.
Trammel did say that enjoyed being able to do the work at his pace and on his own time.
“It was good for the first couple of days, but after the first week, I wanted to go back,” he admitted.
Shawn Trammell said he understands the severity of the situation, but is still disappointed at not having a traditional graduation ceremony due to COVID-19.
Trammell said his classes include pottery, construction, automotives and physics – all hands-on type classes. Smith has band, JROTC, and pre-Calculus.
It’s missing JROTC that has Smith most concerned. He is a cadet/Major in the program and he, along with the rest of the senior cadets had spent this school year preparing for their biggest inspection.
“We were getting ready for our JPA inspection, which is the biggest inspection we have, when school was cancelled,” he explained. “It determines if we get Honor unit and Distinction.”
The accolade won’t have an negative impact on his future–he recently enlisted in the United States Marine Corps– but that title is critical to the future paths of some cadets. He has friends applying for the service academies that could lose points if the unit doesn’t have that title.
“They only do this every four or five years, so it’s not just my class that’s impacted, but the rest of the classes after us,” he said. Smith said that he and several other seniors have already enlisted, so they won’t be available to help help the rising classes with everything he and his friends have spent a year preparing for.
What may be impacted, though, is his report date for basic training at Paris Island, which recently halted basic training due to the pandemic. Those recruits will have to rescheduled said Smith.
“I’ll be upset if I can’t leave when I’m supposed to,” he admitted. Becoming a Marine is something he’s wanted as long as he can remember. He continues to work out at home, doing what the recruiter suggested to prepare.
He also plans to audition for the Marine Corps band and has played percussion for Gordon Central’s Blue Wave band for four years. Smith is worried because he only owns a snare drum and his pre-audition video requires him to play three instruments. With his school and church closed, he is out of options to practice.
Then there are the senior milestons: prom and graduation that are memory main-stays for any graduating class.
For Trammell, he feels like he’s missing a family tradition.
“My sister, cousins, aunts, and my parents graduated from GC (Gordon Central) and I’m the only one that’ll not get a normal ceremony,” he said. “I know that I will get a ceremony, just not the one I hoped for.”
After graduation, Trammell said he plans to attend Eastern Kentucky University, where he has a full scholarship, to study engineering and design.
Chandler Smith says he’s worried about how the school closures will affect future JROTC classes and his ship date to Paris Island.
Gordon County Superintendent Kimberly Fraker said she understands the emotional toll the situation is having on everyone.
“We know that many of our families are concerned for our students who are missing milestone moments- performances, games, competitions – which have been canceled through the duration of the executive order. Many more are wondering about other events and graduation should there be any further extension,” said Fraker. “We do want to preserve and protect as many special events as possible.”
Fraker said the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia are working to ensure the pandemic does not result in punitive issues for the class of 2020. See what else she has to say about how the system is handling distance learning, here.
“Admissions criteria are being modified by institutions and certain testing requirements are being waived. We are also working on a framework for grading and awarding credit to benefit our students,” she said.
Because college acceptance and scholarships are competitive, she anticipates colleges and scholarship committees will rely more on academic accomplishments and community involvement prior to school closures.
Gordon Central and Sonoraville High schools have announced that proms will be rescheduled, although a date has not been set.
“It’s only for seniors and we’ve waited 12 years for this,” Smith said.
1 Comment
Awesome and impressive guys. I feel for them as seniors but they both are riding to the occasion grandly.