As a sixth-grader in middle school, I had several friends who were in eighth grade. When the end of the school year came and they left, I was reassured by the fact that I would see them in high school. I didn’t worry about them graduating because it was too far away to think about.

Now that June 2017 has come, I am once again saying goodbye to my friends, except this time, I may not see them in the next step of life.

It’s a strange time that occurs every year at Baldwin High School. The hallways seem to have grown in size as the masses that fill them dwindle.

Many of the underclassmen have grown close to this year’s seniors through sports, clubs, the musical, or even just sitting next to one in a class. For the first time, students wonder if they will ever see the seniors whom they passed every day in the hall.

Thanks to social media, however, today’s generation has the technology to stay in touch with their peers long after high school. People can stay up to date on everyone’s lives through posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, to name a few.

Even so, nothing can replace the in-person relationships that have blossomed in high school. They not only left a handprint on the wall, for they also touched so many lives.

Their legacy will live on each day as we pass the purple handprints that cover the walls. Although some we may never see again, a piece of them remains at Baldwin High School.

From all the underclassmen, good luck in whatever comes next in life. We’ll miss you, but there are great things in the world for you to explore.