As it has been announced that despite the rise in cases we are still going back to school next week, there has been a lot of controversy over the subject. This year’s seniors especially, the class of 2021, are split over the matter. We missed so much of our final year of high school that we can never get back. We’ve had to adjust to a new way of living that no other class has ever been subject to. There’s nothing that I want more than for everything to go back to normal, but as many of my classmates and I know, that doesn’t mean going back to school right now is the best course of action. 

To get an idea of how everyone’s feeling about the decision to start school again and about this year in general, I interviewed 5 seniors and asked the following questions:

Do you think it’s smart or safe to go back to school right now?

“I think it’s stupid to go back to school as we’ve been in red for over a month.”

• Sloan Stidom

“I don’t think it’s smart to go back to school simply because the positive test rate is still high.”

• Katie Criss

“Considering we’re still in the red, it’s definitely not safe.”

• Lauren Burke

“No, you can’t even trust young adults to wear their masks, let alone anyone younger.”

• Anonymous Senior

“I really don’t think it’s safe to go back to school because most of WV is in the red or orange zone. Going back to school will only put the children at risk of getting COVID and bringing it home.”

• Kendra Lester

Some schools in WV have already decided to go remote for the rest of the year. Do you think Greenbrier County Schools should do this as well? 

“They should go fully remote because it would not get better with the closeted students with positive test results, as we’ve seen throughout the fall sports season.”

• Sloan Stidom

“I only believe GCS should go full remote if they’re (1) willing to give you socially distanced tutoring lessons to students and (2) if the county stays in red.”

• Katie Criss

“I feel like GCS should go remote for the rest of the year. I miss the teachers and getting to see my friends, but I would rather be remote where everyone is safer and staying at home.”

• Kendra Lester

“No, because we never know what could happen. There could be a cure found tomorrow and I’m hopeful that maybe if we have another lockdown and get this problem under control we could savor the last nine weeks.”

• Lauren Burke

“Definitely. It’d minimize the risk so we can get back to business, and it’d let the staff focus on making one form of learning as accessible as possible.”

• Anonymous Senior

What has been the hardest thing about this school year for you?

“The hardest thing about school this year was dealing with suicidal thoughts and depression while also maintaining my courses.”

• Sloan Stidom

“The hardest thing for me this school year is motivating myself to do assignments. We were all out of education for so many months, and trying to dive back into the swing of things is hard, especially considering this isn’t a traditional school year.”

• Katie Criss

“Learning online for sure. I really have struggled with online learning this year. I don’t think some of our teachers understand how mentally draining all this already is and I know some things are just simple assignments but sometimes it seems like too much. Another hard thing has been the helpless feeling I know many have felt.”

• Lauren Burke

“Most of, if not all of my work any given week usually boils down to ‘Here’s the problems, turn them in on Wednesday.’ I’m okay with that most of the time, but in some classes I practically need to teach myself the class. Sure, I could email the teacher on every given problem, but that’d take all day just for a response that may not be fulfilling to me. The way it’s laid out, they’re almost begging for you to just google it.”

• Anonymous Senior

Who do you think had it worse: the class of 2020 or 2021? Do you think following graduate classes like 2022 will have it better?

“I think ‘21 had it worse because they had to adapt to a completely different way of education for the extension of the year. I think, as long as the virus persists, the education environment will be rough for all of the future classes.”

• Sloan Stidom

“I think the class of 2021 got it the worst and I don’t say that because I’m a senior. I say it simply because 2021 didn’t get those ‘lasts.’ We didn’t get our last spirit bowl, homecoming game, christmas week, and probably not even prom. I think if the infection rate is lowered and if everything goes back to normal and vaccines are being given that the underclassmen will have it much better.”

• Katie Criss

“2021 had it worse for sure. We’ve only had one day together as a whole class and that statement alone speaks volumes. We’ve thankfully gotten sports but we’ve lost our homecoming week, student government, winter sports, and most likely prom and graduation. I hope this problem is under control by the time the class of 2022 comes in but if not I truly pray for them because this experience sucks more than most people realize. “

• Lauren Burke

“When they were first closing schools last year, I saw a (now graduated) senior, on the verge of tears thinking she wasn’t gonna go to prom. She’d already paid for, like, a $400 dress. A lot of kids from the class of ‘20 or ‘21 might feel ‘robbed’ or something of their last year of high school, but I think they’ve got tunnel vision. By the time it’s all done with, we’ll be in our 20’s, which is way better than prom. Also, yeah, it’ll be better for the next graduating classes, if people WEAR THEIR MASKS and get it sorted for them.”

• Anonymous Senior

As a senior, how do you feel about this being your last year of high school?

“I feel pretty neutral about this being my last year. I feel I’d be leaving this school with a better purpose than I had when I began my education at West in 2018.”

• Sloan Stidom

“Couldn’t feel better about it. Sure, we’re having trouble with certain parts of this year, but you’d do yourself a favor by staying hopeful for the future.”

• Anonymous Senior

“I’m very sad that this is my last year of high school. I had all these plans and thoughts about what my senior year was going to be like, and it was never this.I guess I’m thankful for how different it is, and I really will be able to look back and say that I’ll never forget my senior year. This year has flown by and it makes me sad not being able to go to school with all of my graduating class.”

• Katie Criss

“From my freshman year, I’ve always waited for my senior year. It’s what you work all those years to get to. I put off a lot because I always told myself I’d be at every game and every dance, every school event my senior year and it breaks my heart that I can’t do that, but I think, like many others, I’ve also accepted the loss of these things. People are dying and sometimes it seems almost selfish to complain because I’ve been so lucky for my health throughout this pandemic. I’m ready to start this next chapter of my life and leave high school behind.”

• Lauren Burke