As the 2021-2022 school year slows to an end and summer approaches rapidly, I want to take this little opportunity (being one of the last articles of the year) to wrap the year up and usher summer in.

To all Mustangs: We’ve made it! Since our first day of school on August 31, you have persevered through lectures, tests, and more, but you’ve thrived and turned out (hopefully) unscathed. Give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done, because you’ve earned it—and enjoy your summer.

From the very beginning, this year has been far from normal. For many of us, it would be the first year of fully in-person school since the 2018-2019 year; lingering fears of the pandemic remained, and masks hindered this year’s ability to completely return to pre-COVID times. Doubt hung with the hot stagnant air of August. 

Dramatic much? What I mean–without the dramatics and pessimism–is that there was a certain level of uncertainty that still remained, about reuniting with old friends, about what classrooms would look like, about what YL’s sports scene would look like.  This uncertainty was what made the first days of school just plain weird, but what also lent them their undeniable buzz of excitement. This uncertainty meant that things were just starting to return to normal—so while this year may have still been far from usual, it was the least unusual that we’ve had in a while. 

That, then, set the year up for great success. And a success it was.

Through the one of the hottest autumns in recent and not-so-recent memory, YL athletics, classes, and clubs thrived. In winter, mid-terms gave us Friday off (always look on the bright side!), YL athletics continued to dominate, and Mustangs made more memories. Now—it’s spring. Summer officially starts on June 21, but our school year ends on June 16, giving us an opportunity to enjoy this season’s final fleeting days.

But while the year may have passed, the memories we made along the way will not disappear. In the words of Derek Moore (9), “This year has been full of great memories that I will cherish for a long time, like homecoming and… football games.” As for me, I couldn’t agree more. Just in my freshman year, I’ve made incredible memories and incredible friends that I think will last a lifetime.

Finally, I’d like to thank the staff and ASB for making all of it possible. 

Mustangs, enjoy your summer! I’ll see you again next year.