This year has been difficult, and we have all had to adjust in new ways. It has not been just one group affected by this crazy year there have been many students. Kids had to leave friends and classmates behind and learn remotely to protect themselves and others. Now even though we are not completely back to normal we still have returned to school. How do students feel about this? Even though being at home was not everyone’s preference do students really want to be back at school on a partial week hybrid schedule? Do students only want to see half of their classmates? I wanted some answers, so I reached out to a student at Oak Ridge to see their opinion.
Me: “How has hybrid been going for you so far”
Anonymous: “Me personally I can handle big changes like hybrid, and I feel like I can manage my time better and it gives me more responsibility. But of course, it’s going to come with its own challenges as well”
Me: “ That feeds into my second question, What is your favorite part of hybrid?”
Anonymous: “ I feel like this also gives me a perspective on adult experiences. You’re the one who has to wake themselves up, get breakfast, and be in class on time. So mostly the independence”
Me: “You sound like you really are enjoying hybrid, but is there anything that you don’t necessarily like?”
Anonymous: “ Before my junior year I wasn’t really an open person but this year I feel like I need to open up to people so I wish I had a more emotional connection with my classmates and peers. Also teachers, sometimes teachers don’t make it easier on you, I know it’s harder for AP classes but I would like some type of leniency on students.”
Me: “I really like that answer and I totally agree with you. My last question is If you were a school board member or a politician what would you change?”
Anonymous: “They said that they would keep strict rules about social distancing but they really haven’t been. It might be hard but at the cost of people dying, you need to keep people safe. For example, when traveling to class I try to get there a bit later or earlier so that I’m not bunched up next to people because the virus can spread that way and I can’t risk getting sick since I live with my grandmother and my mother is a nurse.”
Me: “You were really the perfect person to talk to because you have family members that are more at risk and on the front lines. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me today”.
This interview was really helpful, because I got to see someone else’s viewpoint. Hopefully, people take this pandemic seriously. We all need to help each other so that years from now we will be able to tell others the story of the year 2020.
About the Contributor
Staff Writer, Brooke Henderson
