By: Bridgette Gourley

This year has been a crazy year for everyone! The Coronavirus ruined a lot of things for many people. Maybe you’re a senior, or someone who missed out on playing their favorite sport. If you are, I can relate. This year I was supposed to letter in softball, but before we could even play our first game, they cancelled school. Our whole team was heartbroken, and the younger classmen didn’t even get to say goodbye to the seniors. Nobody knew that the virus would make everything come to an end.

Not only did the virus change my life as a student athlete, but it has been changing our day to day lives as well. It seems like the whole world is coming to an end. Everyone is trying to stock up on toilet paper because of the virus, and it is causing people to go crazy! I was in Walmart the other day and there was absolutely no toilet paper. There were people screaming at each other because they needed it and there was none left. It’s so sad to see our whole world suffering because of the Coronavirus. We have quickly learned that the best way to be safe is to stay home and don’t leave unless necessary.

What have you and your family been doing throughout this quarantine? Instead of going to school every day, my days are usually made up with working outside. Every day I go down to the barn and help my dad clean barns and milk. Companies have been dumping milk because all the restaurants and schools are closed. My dad said it’s not even worth milking anymore because he isn’t making any money from it. He explains that the bill he is receiving isn’t even enough to pay for the feed, so how is he supposed to keep the farm running? It’s not fair to us farmers who work day and night on the farm to make sure our animals are taken care of before we are, and now, we aren’t even making any money. I feel bad for all the families out there that are trying to do everything they can right now to make money to pay the bills. As farmers, we’ve experienced this challenge first hand.

Schools all over the world have been closed due to the virus. The school districts have sent out work for the students to do either online or offline. Some students really struggle with learning if their teacher isn’t there to explain the work to them. I would rather go back to school so I can see my friends and teachers. This is not fair to everyone, especially the seniors that can’t even have a graduation together.

If you are really struggling during this quarantine time, we are all here with you. There are so many people who are having a very difficult time making money to pay the bills, and to get other things they need for their families. If you are a senior or someone who didn’t get to play their sport because it got cancelled, we all feel sorry for you. My heart goes out to all the seniors that didn’t get to say goodbye one last time or walk across the stage. I wish nothing but the best for all of you in the future.