Students Speak Out About Remote Learning, Masks, Covid and more

What do high school students think about protocols, masks, the risks of contracting Covid and the prospect of reverting to remote learning? SHS Alternative School Intern Michael Mancusi made some inquiries among his classmates and here is what they shared:

Are you in favor of remote learning?

Definitely not. I did not learn in remote learning last year and do not want to repeat it this year. Additionally, I could not handle the social isolation that remote learning created and it was very bad for my mental health. As the death rate is very low, I do not think it is worth going virtual again. On the other hand, I know some students have reasons to want to be virtual, such as they or a family member are considered ‘high risk’. I do have an idea for a solution to help those people. I think that people, or people who live with people, with underlying conditions should be able to go virtual, provided they show the school that they have a legitimate reason. I think it should be very important that they do inform the school of their reason, in order to prevent people from going virtual for the wrong reasons (such as to cheat on tests).
-Anonymous

I am in favor of remote learning for now because I think although Omicron and new variants are being shown that it is not as deadly as the older variant for people who are vaccinated (and maybe unvacced) there are still risks people have at home that can make the omicron deadly and send them to the hospital furthermore it spread much faster which means it can reach more people who have these risks and I think we should be aware of that and for their safety I am in favor for remote learning for at least a little bit. I understand the cons though and the difficulty there is with going full remote.
-Annie Caluzzi

Do you think the school is being too strict?

Yes, a little bit. I understand the reasoning behind the school’s protocols, however I do view it as a bit excessive. This is coming from someone who currently has Covid. I personally think the best option currently is for most people to get covid and develop herd immunity. I have been reading many articles about omicron, and scientists seem to think that it could end the pandemic. Due to its high transmission rate but low death/hospitalization rate, many people are being infected, however very few are dying from it. As a result, I believe the school should ease up on restrictions to allow people to acquire natural immunity. However, I acknowledge that there is much that I do not know about the virus , and therefore I do not have enough information to make an educated decision. I hope the school board takes my opinion into consideration, while also using their best judgement to decipher the best solution to this issue. -Anonymous

No. I think the current protocols are not too strict. They are fine, especially given the number of cases recently I think it is good they tighten up the protocols. I am honestly more sick of Covid being dragged on for so long now and it is partly due to people slacking off.
-David Wang

Do you feel safe?

To be honest, I don’t feel safe. There is nothing anyone can do to ensure 1,600 kids plus even more staff will follow all the rules. It hasn’t been happening, and I expect nothing to change. Some of my teachers and peers don’t wear masks properly or don’t follow social distancing, and it is impossible to keep a close eye on everyone at once. This is why I think a remote learning option would be beneficial.
-Maya Katcher

Yes I’m not worried about getting sick.
-Cole Sperling