Celebrating all of those “last time”
moments when you are a high school senior are bittersweet and this year’s
senior class has not had the opportunity to make those memories of prom and
graduation but a few Exeter-Milligan seniors and their families have taken the
time to create their own memories.
Anna Sluka and her mom, Karen, shopped
early this year for a prom dress because “we knew April would be busy,”
explained Karen.
The corona virus hit and things came to a
complete stop. As the once busy month of April began, Karen noticed that
Anna started to take note of the things she was missing like the trip to
Galveston, Texas the seniors had planned. “She would say, ‘I am supposed
to be sitting on the beach right now getting my tan on,’ which was the weekend
we got all of the snow.”
On the spur of the moment, according to
Karen and husband Tom, they decided to “Grill some steaks, decorate the room,
Anna got her prom dress on and Tom got dressed up.”
With everyone dressed up they decided to
visit Tom’s mom, Grandma Sluka, and then thought they would got to Milligan and
cruise around.
Cruising in front of the auditorium where
Prom is usually held Tom realized they could have a dance down main street as
part of their celebration.
Anna, who is the youngest of the five Sluka
children, was thrilled. “For me it was a special moment to have my dad as my
prom date. It’s something my siblings never had. It’s a moment I will
cherish forever.”
The Sluka’s have been soaking up this last
year of school, “We have been taking in each event knowing it was our last
one As far as prom goes I don’t want anyone to date my daughter,”
explained Tom.
Anna reassured him that all out of all of
her prom and homecoming dates he was the best one.
Tom added, “Anna has been such a good sport
about all of the things she has missed. I am honored she would ask me to
go to the prom. We are so proud of her and how she has handled this
situation.”
The Sluka’s were also adamant in their
praise of how Exeter-Milligan has gone above and beyond to honor the seniors.
“There is no place like Exeter-Milligan,”
quipped Anna, “It’s really special. I have friends from other schools
that aren’t getting what we are getting. It means a lot to me and our
whole class. They are really making the best out of this crappy
situation.
Tom added, “Small towns and small schools
are still trying to do some of these special things. They are doing the
best they possibly can.”
During the first cruise night in Exeter,
senior Kayla Geiger and her boyfriend Sam Otte (a Nebraska Lutheran senior)
dressed up, Sam brought Kayla flowers and candy and they made their own special
event.
Prom dresses have also made an appearance
at other cruise nights as the girls want to show their special outfits.
Another set of senior parents, Brian and
Angie Murphy also wanted to do something special to honor their daughter
Caitlin’s prom night. “We had pictures, a nice prom dinner, and
then a mini-dance complete with a YouTube laser show and lots of laughs,”
according to Angie.
The Murphy’s went a step further and added a post prom to
their fancy evening. They included Wii bowling and a family game of
pitch. No reports on who won.
Caitlin enjoyed the evening and “thought the ‘prom night’
was a fun way to celebrate during an unconventional time. It was special
to be able to wear my dress and document the occasion even though we were
unable to have prom.”
As teachers in the district the Murphy’s have experienced
firsthand both sides of the effect of the pandemic on seniors, from a parents
and a teachers perspective. Angie was very positive about the way the
district is honoring the seniors, “I was pleasantly surprised to find out
about the banners in downtown Exeter and the yard signs at the Milligan
football field. Watching the video downtown was really fun too.”
As far as the loss of special events the students are
missing Angie added, “I think it’s hard; the situation has left a big hole for
the students, and even the parents. There are so many lasts that won’t
happen for this group of kids. That being said, they had a lot of experiences
in their high school careers that some of the younger students won’t get to
have. As a teacher, I think it’s hard for everyone, and I think when we look
back we will find things we could do better.”
Caitlin summed up her feelings on the quarantine situation,
“The end of my senior year has definitely been unexpected, but I believe
Exeter-Milligan is trying to make the best of the situation for all
students. I greatly appreciate the senior video being projected in both
towns, the banners on Main Street in Exeter, and the yard signs at Milligan’s
football field. The school has responded thoughtfully, and although the
situation is far from ideal, Exeter-Milligan is still providing opportunities
and recognition for the class of 2020.”
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