COLUMBUS, Ohio — Prom, senior night for student-athletes, awards night, and of course, graduation. All of those are events that many students and families look forward to each spring.
COVID canceled and changed these experiences last year. This year is proving to be even more challenging. However, with more knowledge about the coronavirus and the vaccine rollout, there’s hope.
More than a year into the pandemic, it's not a surprise that plans for prom, graduation -- all senior events -- could change at a moment's notice.
Joyce Brickley is the principal at Hilliard Darby High School. She said the planning process has had changes, minute by minute.
“We’re going to do everything we can to air on the side of the kids, but also keep them safe,” she said. “What that looks like today might not be what it looks like in two weeks.”
For prom, right now it’s scheduled to happen May 1 at The Exchange in Bridge Park, Dublin.
“When we go outside of our high school campus we are subject to the protocols that the outside establishment must adhere to,” she said.
When we interviewed principal Brickley a couple of weeks ago, Franklin County was on the verge of going back to purple status. That means according to the Ohio Department of Health the most severe spread of COVID-19 and encouragement to stay home as much as possible. That makes planning for any events even more difficult.
A few days later, Franklin County did return to Purple status, the first time since December. However, the county moved back to Red on Thursday.
Planning for spring school events has pressed on with school districts even outside Franklin County paying close attention to that status change because that’s where some schools plan on hosting their events. That’s the case for the Delaware Hayes High School prom.
"I thought oh my God, we have prom in Franklin County!” said Dr. Ric Stranges, the principal.
He said they are trying everything possible to bring students together for a smaller than normal prom and outdoor graduation, no matter the weather because his district never totally went back to all in-person learning.
“Ours haven’t been together for one minute,” he said.
For Columbus City Schools, some schools are surveying students to see what they want to do for prom later in May and graduation in June.
“A lot of students want to be safe and a lot of them are saying yes we want to do it and others are saying no for my safety we don’t want to do these things. So right now we’re really letting it fall on each individual building,” said area superintendent, Dr. Luther Johnson.
Back in Hilliard, senior Caily Burr is hoping to graduate from high school on the campus she’s attending next year.
“That would be really exciting if that’s like for sure happening,” she said.
As of last check, the plan is on for graduation to happen at the Schottenstein Center at The Ohio State University, even though it's being used as a mass vaccination site. But she knows even if these plans last minute she remains thankful. Thankful to have her senior lacrosse season. They barely played at all last year.
“I think the biggest thing for me is just like the relationships in my life have kept me very positive,” she said. “Having a strong relationship with like all of my peers and my teachers and my parents and everything. It’s kept me going and helped me stay positive through all of this.”
Seniors in Olentangy will have drive-thru graduation, although some parents have previously shared with us they are frustrated by that plan.
When it comes to prom though, students at Liberty High School will have their version -- formal dinner style with no dancing -- at the Columbus zoo.
“I’m actually really excited for our prom this year,” said Arpita Patel, a senior at Olentangy Liberty High School.
For some who like a plan, the plan now is to hope for the best.
“I can’t have a plan A and a plan B. I can have possible plans but there’s no guarantees,” said Maci Mitrey, a senior at Olentangy Liberty High School.
“Change is hard and difficult but it’s always great if you can learn from it and always grow from it,” said Ariana Cleveland, a senior at Olentangy Berlin High School.
“I guess they don’t know what they’re missing because they didn’t have it,” added Angelia Cleveland, Ariana’s mother. “But as parents, we know what they’re missing because we had it.”
Uncertainty around COVID, even with the vaccine in place and things looking up, is teaching skills they could never learn from a textbook.
“Having to learn at a young age to adapt and overcome is definitely going to prepare me for all the hardships that I may face in the future,” said Burr.