In January, the Hawai‘i Department of Education (HIDOE) announced the cancellation of all large, in-person social gatherings for the remainder of the school year, excluding commencement ceremonies, however, proms might be off the table.
Some seniors on Kaua’i say they’re not sure of their next steps, but they’re not letting the pandemic stop them from celebrating their senior year.
Kaua‘i High School (KHS) senior Xarika Casticimo will attend the University of Hawai‘i (UH) this fall majoring in Elementary Education with a minor in ‘Olelo Hawai‘i.
“I am unsure if my school is planning to do anything, but if not, I will be doing prom with a small group of friends,” Casticimo said.
Casticimo said the pandemic has made a devastating impact on her senior year.
“Six months into (my) senior year and I’ve been on campus 9 days,” Casticimo said. “Even on those 9 days, not everybody is here. The senior class has not yet attended a day of school together on campus this year.”
Casticimo said the normal in-person school events, which include Homecoming, Winterball, Winter Assembly, All Sports Assembly, Prom, May Day, Senior Luau, Senior Picnic, and graduation have been ripped away from her and her senior classmates.
“My classmates never got to finish their high school sports seasons and some of them played for the last time and never knew it,” Casticimo said. “Other than school, I’ve enjoyed the impact that the pandemic made on the number of tourists coming to the ʻaina however, I understand that because of that reason there are fewer jobs.
“It is a bit of controversy because some people want to bring the tourists back and some people want the restrictions to stay so that the locals can have gatherings and be together, especially for this graduation season,” Casticimo said.
Another KHS senior, Javis Agreda, the first in her family to be attending college this fall goes into detail about why it’s so important for her to reach her goals.
“My parents are first-generation immigrants who chose to sacrifice a lot of dreams and ambitions so their children can achieve their own here in America, and college being one of those,” Agreda said. “A big part of the reason why I chose to attend college is to follow a dream my parents didn’t have the luxury to entertain when starting their life here within America.”
Agreda said as of right now, there are no current planned events either virtual or in-person for prom in order to keep students and faculty safe.
Agreda talks about her personal perspective of the pandemic this past year as she embarks in a new world this summer.
“The pandemic has forced a lot of economic. social, and political change within the U.S. and the world,” Agreda said. “But it has been a big impact on students and schools alike. There is no denying that a child’s development is more critical during their K to 12 years and every day, they are losing that important in-person development to shape them into well-rounded adults.”
This past year has been difficult, to say the least for students like Agreda that keep a positive mindset while losing social experiences that their prior classes enjoyed.
“It has forced high school (students) along with seniors like me to lose what seemed to be a right but now a privilege these days such as prom or graduation and supplement them with a blue screen ‘social’ event that creates little to no meaningful engagement,” Agreda said.
Agreda said her message isn’t to be insensitive to the multitude of COVID-19 cases and deaths, but it’s to show the public the perspective of a senior who were promised so many incredible milestones and class bonding moments before they head off their separate ways which was a tradition for many years but later canceled due to this pandemic.
“I applaud my class and the multitude of students and constituents who were directly and indirectly affected by this pandemic,” Agreda said. “It has forced many instances where it seemed like we’re growing apart as a generation but inadvertently gave all of us one commonality that we all can relate to and grow together as a community in hopes of facing this pandemic together as a world.”
Although Commencement ceremonies will carry on with social distance measures, HIDOE is working with the governor’s office, partnered agencies, county mayors, and schools “on safe and viable in-person and virtual options to honor and celebrate the graduating class of 2021,” according to HIDOE.
“Our school leaders have shown they are able to implement and enforce the protocols that have kept our staff and students safe,” Superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto said in a recent press release. “While we cannot prevent exposure to COVID-19, the Department has systems in place to immediately address cases and has avoided transmission of the virus at HIDOE facilities to date.”
Kishimoto sends her gratitude towards all educators, their students, and DOE employees.
“Mahalo to our school leaders, students, and staff who have been working tirelessly to plan creative and innovative ways to make the commencement ceremonies for our 2021 graduates special,” Kishimoto added. “This has truly been a unique school year and I look forward to safely celebrating our graduates on this significant milestone.”
Graduation guidelines can be found at https://tgilinks.com/3raFPzP
