Shana Chen

Hi, my name is Shana Chen. As I’m sitting in my room typing this senior perspective, it’s almost hard to imagine how different everything was just a couple weeks ago. COVID-19 has changed almost every aspect of my life.
Firstly, as senior class president, I was very excited to begin planning prom. The venue is currently set at the Lincoln Financial Field, and our theme was set to be “Time Flies”, having multiple meanings: a light, airy sky mood, reminiscing our four years at East, and a witty nod towards the Eagles (Fly, Eagles, Fly). In our class SGA, we had already divided ourselves into committees, and begun to look at decorations, DJs, and tickets. However, all of this was put to a halt when Governor Murphy closed all schools. Now, the possibility of a senior prom seems to flicker as the COVID-19 situation worsens.
Beyond student government, I had also planned to attend the VEX Robotics World Championship with my team this year in Louisville, Kentucky and DECA Nationals in Nashville, Tennessee, both of which were cancelled. While it seems that things might be looking up with Disney being rescheduled, I feel for all of the seniors who were looking forward to something this year that they might not have the opportunity to do anymore. It seems like so many things are still up in the air–MCD, Mr. East, prom, assassin, graduation–that it’s hard to just sit back and treat this like a break from school.
As for my current activities, spring break has been pretty slow so far. I’ve been watching a lot of Netflix, spending time with my family and my dog Ace, reading, and baking. I’ve also been walking outside A LOT. Social distancing has been tough, as I’m sure it has been for everyone, but social media and Netflix Party have allowed me to keep in touch with my friends.
Lastly, even though COVID-19 has flipped my world upside down, I’m still grateful to live in the comfort of my home, know that all my friends and family are safe, and have a connection to my teachers to receive my education. All of my troubles are marginal compared to what others may be facing right now, and I continually hope this will get better for all of us.