I recently watched the Hunger Games movie again and there’s a scene where the antagonist, President Snow, states, “Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear.” This statement resonated with me more than ever because we are currently living in a time where hope is needed the most. We all hope for things in life, whether small or big, but any fear instilled into that hope is bound to destroy it. While we experience this pandemic in a fearful time, all we can do is hope for something good to happen.
 
As a junior at John R. Rogers High School, I have noticed an increase in poverty rates in my community as the percentage of students with free and reduced lunch has grown immensely in the past years. Many students at Rogers show up to school because it is a place where they feel safe, comfortable, and at ease. It is a safe place where they can learn and see all their friends, and the impact of COVID-19 has ruined that tremendously, as teachers, counselors, administrators and other staff as well as their own peers and even themselves, are worried about how they will be able to continue their education at home. Amid all this chaos, we can only hope that this will all be over soon as everyone continues physical distancing.
 
In addition to attending school, I am a three-year member of the John R. Rogers Dance Team. COVID-19 has devastated our team as we have been working hard all season to prepare for our performance at the State Championship in March and we did not get that opportunity. We were hoping to perform in May to when it was rescheduled, but after the announcement that schools in Washington would be closed for the remainder of the schoolyear, we found out that we would not have the opportunity to have a State championship. To fellow dancers, I feel your pain and sadness. All the dedication we have put into dance, in and out of season, has been shattered. State is one of, if not the most exciting event we all look forward to at the end of the season. It is an experience you will never forget. And to those seniors that never got to experience a State event during high school and qualified this year or was working hard to qualify, whether Dance/Drill, Music, Theater, Debate, or a spring sport, my heart goes out to all of you.
 
We all hope that COVID-19 doesn’t affect us. We all hope that those who do have it, recover from it. We all hope that everything will go back to normal. We all hope to go back to school or work. Whatever you hope for, make the best of it. Do what you have always wanted to do (with physical distancing of course). Try something new. I can only hope that you will enjoy it one way or another. I hope that you can enjoy the little things in life, no matter what it is. What you hope for will eventually happen. But there’s a catch. Hoping for something to happen probably won’t happen unless you make it happen. Every decision you make is going to affect you in some way, shape, or form.
 
Despite how COVID-19 has affected us all, we can all hope for the greater good because in the end, hope is not cancelled. While there is a thing like false hope, I always know that everything happens for a reason and when something bad happens in your life, it’s about how you respond to that situation and how you decide to fight back. “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” -Charles R. Swindoll. I hope the best for you, and I hope you decide to stay safe.