By Mason Kruse and Amy Bleakley
The class of 2021 has had to make multiple changes during their senior year due to the recent pandemic that hit America in March of 2020. They have had to adjust to their new learning styles that have taken an extreme toll on their social and academic lives that used to be normal in previous school years. The Spectator decided to ask students about their personal opinions with the adjustments of their senior year. Below is some of their input on questions that we have asked them.
Q: Do you think the changes within our school year (due to Covid) have benefited your senior year?
Ethan Long- “No, I think that a lot of the changes that were made hurt my overall senior experience. However, I understand why the changes were made.”
Morgan Haug- “No, not at all. I think that there is no social interaction at school and I feel like I have learned a third of what I’m actually supposed to learn.”
Q: What things do you miss most about having a regular school year as a senior?
Jake Gorski- “I miss the social part of school: the lunchtime, walking in the halls, having full classrooms, and attending extracurricular activities.”
Alex Faron- “I miss having sports seasons and fans packing the stands, seeing my friends every day in class and in school, and being around other people. I also miss the feeling on a Friday when your last class gets out and you know you have the whole weekend ahead of you.”
Q: Who are some people who have made this year memorable for you?
Jonathan Thompson- “I have become a lot closer with all of my friends because of all the free time I have had. Also, my coaches have made this a very memorable year. They have done a great job keeping us all involved and motivated. I don’t know what I would’ve done without some sort of a sports outlet.”
Jack LaCasse- “My friend group, my brothers, my mommy and daddy, and coaches because they are doing their best to keep us active.”
Q: What are different things you have been able to do to help make up for the losses of senior year?
Luke Nelson- “Hangout with friends”
Maddie Yunker- “Grew closer with friends and family”
Q: For clubs and activities and sports, how do you feel about the suspension from IHSA about your season and whether or not you’ll have it?
Nolan Lewis- “I think that I understand where the IHSA is coming from and I understand why we need to stay away from contact sports; however, if the right protocols are followed and there is little to no contact traces related back to the sport then I think sports should be allowed to happen. It should be up to the player to decide if they want to put themselves at risk.”
Kyle Oroni- “The suspense is tough. Having to go workout and train every week not knowing the end result is very hard to do. I will say that I have made a lot of memories this offseason with my teammates. The one positive is that I get to spend even more time with all my teammates making memories even if that’s in the weight room instead of under the lights.”
Q: As an athlete, do you think you’ve been given enough chances to play your sport?
Alex Faron- “Game-wise, I feel as though I have been jipped this season. Practice wise I have worked out and made more progress than I ever would have both strength and skill-wise due to all the free time to get in work this past year.”
Kyle Oroni- “No, I do not. It’s hard to sit at home and watch as every state around us is continuing to play sports. It’s hard to go to workouts and follow every protocol and guideline just to have our season still be up in the air.”