Members of The Echo share their perspective about returning to school.

Olivia’s perspective

As a senior, I already have familiarity with attending the main campus for my sophomore year of high school before the pandemic. Initially, I was very excited to see my friends in-person and have more opportunities to make new friends as it is easier to communicate with other students. Attending in person feels more interactive, and I can make connections with new people and teachers. However, I did not forget how crowded the hallways are. Sometimes navigating through others and making my way to my classes on time without becoming overwhelmed or too close to other people. As I move throughout the building, I can find shortcuts here and there. Additionally, I’m grateful for the opportunity to have off-campus lunch and grab something to eat with my friends. I like having the freedom of having more options for what I want to do when I have my lunch period.

Jaclyn’s perspective
As a senior who hasn’t stepped foot into the main campus for one and a half years besides going in to take the SAT, it was definitely strange being back, but at the same time, things felt the same (besides having to wear masks the whole day). The hallways were crowded and full of very slow walkers which made it difficult for me to get to some of my classes on time, which I did experience also during my sophomore year. The cafeteria was full because we had to leave one chair between each student, and we also got free lunch which was something I have never seen before. But the absolute best part about being in person now is that I can interact with my teachers and friends face to face instead of through a screen on Zoom, which will lead to better relationships compared to the ones I had last year.

Some students that have never stepped foot inside of the main campus didn’t know what to expect as they walked the halls and they also felt weird about being back in a school setting.

Despite differences in grades, many students had similar feelings about being back.

Sophomore, Kylee Norkus, also agreed that “the hallways are jammed, and it’s really stressful when you’re going from one side of the school to the other without getting tardy.”

We can all agree that it is hard to get from one hallway to the next, especially if you’re going from one wing on one side of the school to another on the other side.

But there have been some positives about being back in the building according to junior, Avika Aul who said that “it’s good being back in a routine and keeping myself busy… [we’re] finally getting back to normalcy with more games and events.” Due to the pandemic, we didn’t really get any of the fun school events last year, but Aul is excited for the upcoming football games and homecoming this year.

Overall, the changes for in-person learning present mixed feelings and emotions to students of different grades. Neuqua students hope to adjust and settle into in-person learning with being back in the classrooms.

However, this change opens opportunities and questions for the possibility of returning to e-learning. Faculty, staff and students are going to have to keep up maintaining a safe learning environment by leaving masks on, socially distancing and staying aware of face-to-face contact.

If we don’t make a collective effort, we may just have to Zoom through another year.