March 12, 2020 is often referred to as “the day everything changed.” Reflecting on this day has made me incredibly emotional, it’s one of the biggest lessons we’ve had in adaptation and adjusting our expectations. While our experiences varied, I believe students around the globe were faced with a particular adversity that will affect us for the rest of their lives. At such a young age, our world was upturned and we were faced to grow, lead, and unite while the world crumbled in the face of disease and political unrest. As I reflect on my experiences a year ago, I feel solemn about the past year but also hopeful for what’s to come. Likewise, I hope you can consider the past year for its sadness while recognizing the potential for growth and prosperity forward.
On March 12, 2020, I attended a SuperSAC meeting. This is a group led by the Superintendent and made of student leaders from across the district, along with other zone administrators and APS department heads. At this meeting, we discussed Coronavirus and its role in our schools with the Nursing Services Department. I felt like a third grader on the first day of school, learning about the basic rules of handwashing, coughing and sneezing into your elbow, and do’s and don'ts of staying home sick with a fever. While we sat in the conference room talking about viruses and hygiene, one thing remained clear; schools were staying open as of March 12th, 2020 at around 1 in the afternoon.
The whole situation felt a bit bizarre to me. I remember calling my dad as soon as the meeting was over to tell someone what I just experienced, it seemed like saying my words out loud might make things feel more real. A strange virus had infected several people in the city, causing a massive uproar of confusion and a forewarning of caution into the future.
I was home for probably two hours when I heard the television hesitantly explain that all schools would be shut down for the next two weeks. Just a few hours before, I was under the impression that this virus was not dangerous enough to cause our schools to close.
Eventually I started to believe that maybe this will last for a short time and we’ll be back to normal soon. Though, as the days went by it seemed that things became much more serious than what we initially believed. I had no idea what the future held, but I know now that any expectations I had were not even close to the reality that would become.
Exactly a year ago, today, our state nearly completely shut down for what we thought was going to be two weeks. Today I am laughing at the naivety I had, like I’m sure the rest of the world is doing. I believe reflecting on the past year is incredibly important, but I’d like to specifically focus on the efforts that were made to support students during the pandemic and what I hope continues.
2020 was the year of adaptation and perseverance, where young leaders served selflessly to unite their communities despite all reasons to give up. Isolated and eager to act, I believe we realized the changes our communities needed. While we took the chance to act when our communities were most vulnerable, the need for change still exists even after the pandemic is over and we all seem “healed.” I’d argue that the return to normalcy will require even more determination and action than what was needed during the pandemic. Everyone is anticipating a return to the same standard of life we once knew, but perhaps this is an opportunity to adjust our new definition of normal while reminding each other that change is also a chance to grow. I’m eager to see how young leaders approach this opportunity, and I know we are fierce enough to execute it.
Out of all the areas we can discuss, there’s a specific few that I believe offer great opportunity to help our communities prosper. Young people have planted their stake in several places, setting the tone for how things should be executed from here forward.
Students are rarely very active in their district’s School Board and state legislature. Though as the possibility to return to school became more plausible, nearly every student in the state became heavily involved with local decisions. I saw students speaking in public forums at school board meetings, making public comments on bills in the legislature, and even coordinating protests for certain activities to continue. Every year, these governing bodies make incredibly important decisions regarding a student’s involvement in their fine arts programs, athletics, academic competitions, graduation requirements, and countless other things that affect our daily lives. It’s time that students understand the caliber that their voices carry and the importance of filling their seat at the table. Extracurricular programs help so many students understand their interests and passions, these were made to serve us. So, why don’t we start using our voice in the areas that directly impact us? As students understand the importance of their presence, we can create a new culture of accountability and leadership. I hope students stay engaged in these decisions after the pandemic in the same way I long to see extracurricular activities return and improve.
Perhaps more important than bolstering extracurriculars are academics. At the school I attend, nearly 100 seniors failed at least one class last semester and on the other side, almost 70% of freshmen were close to failing at least one class before the semester ended. We saw improvement with increased opportunity to be on campus through clubs and small group activities, but returning to school in person alone will not inherently solve class failures and engagement problems. Educators are so used to the traditional ways to combat a problem and stick only to the solutions that we know exist. Though, with new challenges we need to come up with new solutions. It’s time to realize that students are becoming less enthused with learning and more interested in the incentives behind it, remote learning only exacerbated the disinterest and now sets a new status quo of bare minimum. In a recent conversation with my sister, currently a freshman, she voiced her struggle to stay motivated in class. Some of her questions included, “What’s so important about receiving A’s? How do I know my teachers are invested in what I’m learning? Why is my education so ‘valuable?’” I tried answering, but our difference in perspective was too different to find common ground. These questions can’t be answered with “But we’re returning to school in person soon,” either. There are faults in our education system that were especially highlighted when we relied on students to guide themselves.
We can no longer expect our students to stay afloat in classes that provide no incentive to stay engaged. Remote learning highlights that not every student will immerse themselves in what’s being taught, they’d rather mute and turn off their camera than interact. Recognizing this problem, we must now ask how it can be changed. I believe student leadership can lead the way in structuring a new system built for us. Once again, I must highlight that letting students create policies and educational experiences that directly impact themselves will mean a better response overall. Perhaps there are new ways to incentivize students to learn and grow that will potentially create a new culture where those incentives are no longer needed. It’s time we look at the downfalls of education and the structure that guides it. This return to normalcy is an opportunity to adjust the status quo, and welcome change with open arms and understanding.
The pandemic has affected students in bitter and mournful ways, but that has been a reason for leaders to step up and create change for the people who need it most. Oppressed and marginalized groups have rose in the face of discrimination and deciet, tackling our broken world with a fierceness to renew and protect. Throughout the year, the shift in political climate has increased advocacy and involvement from students of color, students with disabilities, students a part of the LGBTQ+ community, and a number of other groups being represented along with allies to stand beside them. These groups from across the state have become increasingly politically active to achieve incredible things. From the long list of accomplishments, here’s a few that particularly stood out to me; enabling a feature on Google Classroom to change your preferred name for students who go by something different than the name they were born with, the introduction of The CROWN Act, a nation-wide campaign to stop hurtful language that affects students with disabilities, the formation of a group called ‘Diversify Our Narrative’ aimed to promote diverse literature to be taught in high school classes, an increase in activity from Black Student Unions, Asian American Pacific Islander Clubs, Indigenous People’s groups, and more. With young people leading the way to advocate for these marginalized communities, I believe the future is bright and the opportunities are vast. As these advocacy groups have grown over the past year, I hope they continue to grow and the stamina to fight continues.
While we usually focus on the negative impacts of Coronavirus, I believe many students and educators rose to lead and serve their communities and there is only room to prosper. Exactly a year ago, the entire country was faced with hardship and uncertainty. Today, we celebrate the upcoming return to school, local businesses reopening, and overall loosened restrictions on our communities. There is still a long way to go until we return to what we once knew, but I believe we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Even after the pandemic ends and we can rejoice with hugs and handshakes, a piece of this year will make up a great portion of who we are.
Happy anniversary, Covid. I’m overjoyed to see our time together (hopefully) coming to an end. It’s not me, it’s definitely you.