Although high school seniors had to miss out on many final traditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jefferson City High School seniors got to participate in the school's final longstanding tradition Monday.
Seniors rang the bell Monday at the end of Union Street, a symbol of the last day of their high school career.
Normally, JCHS seniors walk through the halls in a parade with the drum line before ringing the bell. This year, they lined up in their cars, got out to ring the bell, then were given hand sanitizer before driving off.
Before ringing the bell, they drove through stations to turn in items they had checked out and to pick up honors cords, pins, caps and gowns.
JCHS counselor Lauren Winemiller and math teachers Angela Muenks, Heather Tabb and Shelly Angerer cheered on each student who rang the bell while holding homemade signs that read "Congrats to the class of 2020," "We miss you JCHS class of 2020" and "We made it! Class of 2020."
Muenks said seeing the students ring the bell was exciting but strange.
"It's just not our normal," she said. "It's not the ending that we wanted them to have, but at least they get a good ending."
Senior Elliott Reed said it felt great to ring the bell and mark the end of his high school career.
"We've just been quarantined at home doing nothing, and I've just been really anxious to just get out and celebrate in some form," Reed said.
While it was nice to ring the bell, Reed said, he hopes they can have a graduation ceremony this summer.
The graduation ceremony currently is scheduled for June 12, with a backup date of July 10.
Senior Saneya Winters said ringing the bell made her emotional because she's sad she's done, and she wasn't able to see her teachers and friends or have other traditional events like prom.
"I'm going to miss this," she said. "It makes me really sad."
The district has not yet decided whether to hold prom, but Winters said she hopes they still get to. While she's disappointed about the way her senior year ended, she said she's also happy to be done and glad she got to ring the bell to provide some closure.
Senior Harrison Mobley said he was also upset his last few months didn't go as planned. He was expecting to be in the top five in the state for track, but they didn't even get to have a meet.
He said he was worried he also wouldn't get to ring the bell, so he's glad he got a chance to.
"It's not the same, but at least they're trying to do something," he said.
Mobley said it feels great to be done with high school. He plans to attend State Fair Community College to study construction management.
"I'll miss high school, I'll miss the friends and memories, but I'm ready to go to college," he said.
Muenks said the bell tradition is exciting and important because it provides closure - something students especially need right now.
"They get so excited about the tradition of ringing the bell," she said. "It's like their last really big thing, and it's the closure, it's the moving on. It's just the rite of passage."