(From CBS 6 Albany: https://cbs6albany.com/news/local/the-cdc-suggests-events-with-50-people-or-more-be-cancelled-or-postponed-for-8-weeks)
Before the pandemic, I was super involved in my school’s community. I think during my junior year, I was in maybe three or four different clubs at the same time (it’s so hard to keep track of everything nowadays). I would stay after school just about every day to participate in clubs or do a sport or engage in an event that was taking place. In the beginning of when everything began to shut down, I was so distraught to see that my clubs’ activities were being cancelled left and right.
My favorite club was Science Olympiad. It was late January when our team had qualified for the state competition. It would have been my second time ever going to States, the first time being back when I was in the 8th grade. I was so pumped because I thought that we weren’t going to make it. But I really wanted to go one more time before I graduated high school, as it wasn’t certain if we were going to make it next year. The bad news came maybe a week or two later, when our coach told us that we weren’t going to be able to go to States due to health concerns. This was the time when Covid was just starting to get scary and make its way into Europe. This year, we made it to States again, but it's all taking place online. It just doesn't feel as exciting as it did last year, mostly due to the fact that all the events will be taking place remotely.
Junior year was also supposed to be the year that I was inducted into the National Honor Society. With school being shut down, we missed the ceremony that was set to take place in March. Officials tried to reschedule the ceremony to October, but we were still shut down. So, inductees ended up just having to pick up their t-shirts and certificates from the principal’s office on whatever day of the week they ended up having in-person classes. It was really a somber sight to see.
The day that we went into lockdown was the day that outdoor track was supposed to begin. I had my clothes and everything, and I was excited to be able to work out again and practice my discus throwing. It was cancelled all of last year, but they’re trying to bring it back this year. I likely won’t participate -- it’s too risky. With 200+ kids participating in outdoor track and field every year, it’ll likely be a breeding ground for diseases, especially for Covid. With the ongoing pandemic, I highly doubt that that many kids will end up signing up, but I’m not going to take the chance. I guess I’ll have to find some other way to work out.
Some of the clubs that I was engaged in were just getting off the ground, such as ECOS and Umoja. The pandemic fully stopped them in their tracks, and I wonder if they’ll even be revived next year, when things hopefully go back to “normal,” whatever that means.
Now that there are no after school activities, I feel almost… uneasy? I don’t know what to do with myself now that I have all this free time. In the beginning, I used to waste the days away by watching copious amounts of Netflix, but now I try to fill the void by distracting myself with the schoolwork that I’m assigned.
Some clubs have moved online and take place entirely over Zoom. It just doesn’t feel right, though. Part of the reason why I joined all of these clubs was for the camaraderie, the face-to-face interaction with peers. It just doesn’t feel the same online. Everything’s awkward and has this slight feel of melancholy. Clubs just aren’t as fun anymore.
I missed out on the junior prom last year. I remember being so concerned about how I was going to take my AP stats test on the day of the dance and still have time to get ready for the event. Those worries feel so far away now.
I hope that at least the senior ball and graduation will happen this year. I know that last year’s seniors missed out, and that’s a huge bummer. I feel like all my years in school have been building up to this final year of high school, and I would hope that I at least get the opportunity to walk the stage to accept my diploma. Also, I hope that I get one more formal dance before going off to college, you know? It’s not guaranteed that you’ll have another, as it varies from school to school. As fun as the semi-formal was back in the ninth grade, I’d like to be able to have more recent pictures and memories to look back on.