Brain Vomit on the Virtual 2020-2021 School Year

Well its official: school is going to be online for at least the first 6 weeks if not more. Were we expecting it? Yes. Are we ready for it? No. For many of us, the first portion of our senior year will not be spent enjoying our final Friday Night Lights, homecoming, nor waterworld. For the juniors, testing anxiety is at an all time high with uncertainty surrounding the validity and necessity of the infamous SAT & ACT. The sophomores are unable to practice driving to earn their licenses. Finally, the incoming freshmen are stripped of first experiences at a totally new school and the ability to meet new peers. So what do we make of it? Are we expected to just easily transition to the new format? This year, the classes of 2021-2024 will undergo a high school experience unlike any other group before it.

The administrations around the bay area are generally doing a better job at structuring online school to be much more similar to a “normal” day at school with the addition of a “bell schedule” in which we’ll hop from zoom to zoom to see our peers and teachers on the regular. This change is a phenomenal improvement to spring’s trainwreck of an educational experience. From March through May, very few teachers were actually holding zoom classes on a regular basis and many simply abandoned face-to-face interactions, expecting the students to complete the learning on their own.

Sports and clubs are gone for the fall. Wow. The culture is going to be drastically different. I mean it’s not like we can see each other, but without school spirit at the beginning of the year, the culture will undergo a drastic shift. I believe people will become closer to some friends and drift from others, shift to a more introverted personality that doesn't rely as much on interactions with others as before, and develop more hobbies, thereby discovering new facets of their personality. While sports are set to commence in winter and spring, nothing is certain. Who’s to say there won’t be a second wave? Of course, we must stay optimistic, but we need not give ourselves false hope. Of course I would love to play sports in 2021, but safety comes first. As for clubs, I am certain that they are scrambling to figure out ways to still gain new members and figure out activities that can still go on virtually or in a distanced manner.

These points bring up a very important question: does physical safety come before mental health? Countless high schoolers have been suffering either from worse or new anxiety, depression, and other related mental disorders from the quarantine, and online school will certainly not do much to help. Of course isolating and staying home is essential to preventing coronavirus transmissions and, in turn, deaths, however it is causing many suicides and mental disorder diagnoses. In no way am I advocating for the country to open back up because of this, it is just an interesting question to think about. It’s as if we’re sacrificing the health of some for the health of the majority. In a utilitarian society, that would be just fine, but it’s sometimes hard to advocate for something based on numbers when emotions are involved. It would be ideal if there was some way to balance keeping safe from the virus while still maintaining your mental health during these times. The best way to do so for the time being is to encourage your peers to do their part in isolating so we can flatten the curve fast and reclaim our healthy minds. Easier said than done, I know, but we can do it if we all work together. It’s not a partisan issue, it shouldn't be a partisan issue, and if we don't make it one, we will persist.

Have a wonderful beginning of the school year, stay physically and mentally healthy, and don't hesitate to talk to us if you're ever feeling a little bit lonely. Our DMs are always open <3