It’s been both so long and no time at all since we were last wearing masks and waving at neighbors from afar. I have to remind myself that I no longer need to cross the street when I see someone coming, that I can go back to the — slightly strange — practice of licking envelopes if I feel like it. As a senior who is soon to walk at graduation, and a student from the last class to experience high school during the pandemic, I wanted to preserve the memories of other students and staff from that strange time.
I can so easily recall how scared my family was. I remember listening to my parents discuss whether it was necessary to wash our groceries, my dad arguing that Dr. Fauci had said the sickness was airborne while my mother stubbornly scrubbed a gallon of milk. I remember the kindness of neighbors who set up food stations with signs that read “take what you need.” I remember watching my father’s reaction to the little red line that spiked up and down but always climbed steadily upwards, tracking the exponential growth of COVID-19 cases. I remember how the words “quarantine,” “six feet apart,” and “testing positive” struck fear and were spoken like secrets and commands, but also how they became familiar.
But besides the drama of a global pandemic, day-to-day life was often dull. “It was mainly just boring,” remembered Francesca Soriano Fonseca, who was a freshman during the pandemic. Soriano Fonseca spent the pandemic dyeing and cutting her hair, getting piercings, and coloring to stay busy. Other students turned to hobbies as well. “There was nothing else to do,” remembered another senior, June Vogt. “That’s why my art improved actually, it’s because I just drew all the time.” My brother and I learned to make focaccia and soup dumplings to keep busy. We piped buttercream rosettes on gluten-free cakes for my mom, and watched Stranger Things.
Many students remember being on screens a lot during the pandemic, from binge-watching movies, shows, and TV to playing video games. Many remember sleeping a lot. “[In online school] I would turn on my computer and I would just go right back to sleep,” one student said.
Experiences of isolation also varied widely. Some students described being isolated from their friends, unable to go about their normal routines. Other students had strong support systems and were able to thrive off of Facetiming their friends during the pandemic.
“No one wanted to show their face,” remembered Vogt, who — along with many other students — struggled to connect during online school. “It was really hard making friends,” they added. During online learning, Vogt used the chat feature to communicate with peers, but it was no replacement for classroom engagement. Other students also struggled to communicate during the pandemic. Anab Ali, a freshman during the pandemic, described the difficulties of trying to communicate with teachers online and the frustrations of emailing when she was so used to talking face-to-face. “You really couldn’t ask for help outside [of] your family members,” she said.
Another senior recalled the financial problems that arose during the pandemic, the difficulty of paying monthly rent. They shared that their father had struggled finding work after the pandemic started, so their elderly uncle had to work instead, risking his health to support the family. Another senior also remembered appreciating stimulus checks during the pandemic.
Emily Gromko, an English teacher at Franklin, remembered how surreal online learning was at first. In the fall of 2020 she set her desk up outside in her backyard, unsure of how online learning would play out and whether she’d be able to set up the Zoom link properly. “It was just so wild to be on a screen outside with the natural world around me,” she recalled. Later she moved into her basement as the weather got colder. “I had a quiet space. I was lucky,” she remembered; however, the adjustment from a classroom setting to being stagnant at a desk was still challenging. Students shared similar concerns. “I didn’t know what to expect,” remembered Ali.
Smaller class sizes and the slower speed of life during the pandemic meant Gromko had time to prioritize getting to know each student personally. Gromko assigned each student a “pal” to check in with at the beginning of class and also introduced show-and-tell to the high school setting, in hopes of fostering connection. Students would often turn their camera on to shove a cat up to the screen, or would talk about what they were up to: a newfound hobby — one kid mentioned whittling — or the chores and responsibilities students had around the house. “We always made time for connecting and talking,” she remembered. Gromko described a student who showed up to class each day with her pet rat around her neck. On another eventful occasion, a student explained that they had just accidentally sliced their finger open while cutting a tomato and then promptly excused themself.
During the pandemic, the amount of classes teachers were expected to lead was significantly reduced, meaning Gromko only had four classes. Fewer students meant she had the time to be a safety net if students were struggling. She called home if students didn’t show up to class to see if everything was alright, and asked how she could help.
“I thought that after that experience, the whole educational system would be transformed,” Gromko had said, hoping for fewer classes, more independent learning, and project-based assessments. At one point there had been conversations over whether students would continue to have an asynchronous Wednesday once returning to in-person learning, but in the end, those changes didn’t amount to much.
“I kind of liked [online school],” said Delphino Ventura. He explained that it was nice to be able to turn in digital assignments rather than paper and to stay in bed during online school. In online school Ventura was also able to research using internet resources, rather than waiting for access to a teacher whose attention was divided among many other students. The setup ended up being much more effective for him. “I got straight A’s freshman year,” Ventura said.
One of the strangest things about the pandemic was that it never really ended. While we slowly returned to regular life and the practices from before the pandemic, there was no definitive end date. There was no singular moment where we could stop and declare it over, no reflection on what we went through and how it impacted us. I remember going camping for the first time in over a year as the pandemic neared a close; I found myself crying in the tent, worried about the return to school in person. I was scared I would die. When my dad tried to reassure me I wasn’t sure if I believed him.
Moving back into regular routines was slow. In school, most students were too afraid to get out of their seats and move around the classroom; some teachers even prohibited it. Many teachers continued using the Canvas learning platform that students had used during the pandemic, and digital assignments remained a part of most courses. Even now, I wonder if we’ve become more afraid of human interaction. In classes, my age group tends to hide behind our devices if left unchecked. I can’t help but wonder if we are less able to socialize, and more afraid of one another after spending a year where human contact meant the risk of infection.
While I prefer to think of that time in roses, it’s not entirely accurate to romanticize the pandemic without a true memory of what it was like. On the surface I remember the things I did to keep busy, but underneath was the ever-present feeling of anxiety and fear. People lost loved ones. The pandemic forced us to consider who and what we prioritized most during times of struggle and it revealed the beliefs and values of many Americans as we watched elections play out and different cities chose how to — or not to — quarantine.
In many ways my memories of the pandemic were characterized by feelings of paralysis and powerlessness, and the hope that things would return to normal. But no longer are the days when I wished for just an hour back in regular school. I’m back to eyeing the clock and battling my senioritis.
If there can be a takeaway, I hope to hold on to the time I spent with my family that year and the joy my dog brought, even as he repeatedly whined to be let inside and outside. I will remember all the people who extended kindness and generosity when everyone was scared, and the knowledge that even in difficult times there are things to be grateful for.
