Will The Class of 2020 Have Their Final Goodbye?

The senior class of 2020 has been working hard for 12 years to have their one last chance to dance away at prom and get handed their diploma before moving on to the next chapter of their lives. Due to the coronavirus, NHS has been operating remotely.  Students and staff continue learning and teaching through virtual learning. The senior class has been wondering what will happen to prom and graduation. Will it happen or will they have to find another solution? 

NHS class of 2020 President Raj Paghdal and senior student Allyssa Bovasso Pignataro both are academically and athletically involved at NHS. They both have high hopes for the school to reopen, to finish  their senior year by taking that last stressful test, walk the halls of NHS with their friends one more time and have one final hoorah as a whole class at prom and graduation. “I am missing out on my last few memories that I could have made with my friends, some of whom I have known for over 12 years. I will not have a chance to say a proper goodbye to Nutley, my teachers, staff, and my classmates,” says President Raj Paghdal. 

The NHS class of 2020 prom is scheduled for June 11, 2020 at the Grove in Cedar Grove, NJ. Many students are concerned and wondering if they will even get the chance to dress up in a fancy dress and tux one last time and spend the night dancing away with their friends. “In my personal opinion, the possibility of prom to be on June 11 is very low.  This is clearly not what we all expected, but the decision is out of my hands,” says Raj Paghdal. 

The class of 2020 did not expect their senior year to take a turn like this and have their events compromised. “I would jump for joy if I found out that prom was still happening, but I cannot get my hopes up. If it were to be cancelled completely, I would be very upset because I would not get to experience something I have wanted since I was younger”, says Allyssa Bovasso Pignataro.

The day where the class of 2020 gets to experience hearing their name called, receiving their diploma and taking pictures with friends and family at graduation is supposed to be on June 26 at the Oval. Graduation is the day for teachers to tell their students how proud they are to have watched them grow and turn into the person they are today. It's a chance for the class of 2020 to recognize all they’ve accomplished from freshmen year to senior year by getting the opportunity to be handed their diploma as they wave goodbyes to their fellow classmates. “Graduation would be the last time where the entire class would be together, as one unit, before we go out on our separate paths,” says Raj Paghdal. 

Graduation is the most important event of the year for the class of 2020 and not knowing if they will have the chance to graduate on the field is upsetting. “I was very excited, but also scared, to be able to throw my cap in the air, go off to college and be independent,” says Allyssa Bovasso Pignataro.

The class of 2020 has to keep their heads held high, remember all the good times they had with their classmates and never forget the support and love that the NHS has given them. “We are different, we are strong, and we are in this together. The Class of 2020 will never be forgotten,” says President Raj Paghdal. “I would like to thank all of my friends and the connections I have made through the years and for them making me the person I am today”, says Allyssa Bovasso Pignataro. As the end of the year inches closer, the class of 2020 will remind themselves to never forget once a Raider, always a Raider.