By Olivia Martin | Photo Editor

Dear fellow senior class,

I am so proud of us. I don’t think anyone had the slightest idea of what we would go through during our (almost) four years of college, and who knows what next semester will bring — hopefully a diploma.

Saying that the past year and a half has been crazy is an extreme understatement. We not only faced a global pandemic but also experienced one of the most tension-filled presidential elections, witnessed heartbreaking stories in the news and recently felt the weight of controversial opinions over the vaccine. On top of all that, we are college students, which alone is not the easiest thing ever.

Being back at Baylor is a true blessing, and personally, I am so thankful to have in-person classes and face-to-face relationships with my roommates and friends. However, we are in such a strange season, and if you are feeling overwhelmed, confused, tired or all of the above, that is OK. This semester is the closest thing we’ve had to “normal” since before spring break of our sophomore year. That is no small adjustment.

We are truly in such a unique situation, where “normal” is hard to define. Even though COVID-19 in the Baylor bubble doesn’t feel too intense, we are not out of the pandemic era yet, and in one way or another, it is still affecting us physically, mentally and emotionally.

Many of us went home for spring break as sophomores in college, and we suddenly became juniors with no form of closure on all the canceled events and plans we had. Even the transition from quarantine to campus was hard for me and for many of my close friends as well. All of a sudden, I find myself a senior, trying so hard to recreate some of the memories that were missed but feeling confused and sad at the time that was lost in between. If you relate at all, just know you’re not alone.

With football games, sorority and fraternity events, Pigskin Revue, homecoming and all the other Baylor normalities that are back this semester, don’t forget to take some time for yourself and rest. We’ve lived through one of the most historic and insane times, so give yourself some credit for making it this far. You deserve it.

Whatever making the most of this senior year looks like to you, I hope you feel proud of yourself in this last year as an undergraduate college student.