Student Profiles

January 2021 rustlernews.com 03 CMR sophomore expresses her struggles amid COVID-19 by Ava Donahue, staff writer The COVID-19 pandemic has overtaken “My education has been affected, in some ways positive and our world in more ways than one. Students in others negative. For the negative, I wasn’t able to get one-onhave been hit especially hard with all of the one help in school when we shut down,” Martinez said. “That really protocol that has been put in place to keep affected my learning and was hard to bounce back from. And as for ourselves and others safe. the positives, I learned to push myself and to stop procrastinating.” Ashlynn Martinez, a sophomore at Distance learning and the fear of the unknown have negatively CMR, has felt the weight of the pandemic and the uncertainty it affected Martinezs’ mental health. has put on her future. “The toll Covid took on my mental health was poor. Because “Covid has affected me most with being scared for my future,” we weren’t able to see friends for a while, it made me really sad. she said. “Many things that I wanted to get done, I was not able to And even still now, we have to be careful with socializing,” Martinez do due to the restrictions.” said.

The distance learning that was put in place for the second “I really miss how socializing was before. And also worrying half of last year and for two weeks this year has been a challenge for my health and others’ too is something hard to wrap my head for some, but Martinez manages to see both the positives and around. The reality with this virus is getting more and more real, negatives in the situation. and it is scary.” RUSTLERS HANDLE THE PANDEMIC

Shaneybrook takes on COVID-19 by Auri Rivera, staff writer

COVID-19 has made an impact on every single Rustler, including freshman Andie Shaneybrook.

Like other students, Shaneybrook is quick to mention the negative effects on her life.

“Wearing masks, and not being able to see everyone's faces [is tough],” she said. “It’s been difficult not being able to partake in daily activities,” she said. This freshman has adapted to all the Covid restrictions and new changes while going to school. When it comes to the block schedule, however, Shaneybrook has mixed feelings. “ I am not fond of the block scheduling because it makes the day feel longer,” she said. “However, it also provides more time to get work done, so I'm not flooded with homework and rushing to get it in the next day. I have more time to turn it in and more time to work on it.”

Shaneybrook decided to attend to school rather than stay home and complete online work.

“I chose to do in-person learning,” she said. “I didn't want to start my first year of high school looking at a screen. I find it easier to learn and understand better in person.” Shaneybrook says she doesn't totally agree with some of the changes, but she admits she doesn't necessarily dislike them.

“Based on all the changes that have been made there are some things better than others, but in a situation like this I’m not sure if anyone would like the adaptations from Covid blindly forced upon us,” she said.

“Covid has been around for [almost] a year now, and after having something like that around for an extended amount of time you learn to adapt to it and get used to the change,” she said. “I do miss being able to converse with your friends without a piece of cloth covering half of their face.” Photo by Marissa McMickle. Covid forces junior Dawson Williams to adjust plans by Marissa McMickle, staff writer

Since the beginning of School Scholarship and 2020 everything has been Chamber Orchestra tour in different, and a lot has been Canada were the two biggest cancelled. For junior Dawson [cancellations],” Williams said. Williams, the cancellations can He also stated that with have bigger consequences. the first shutdown back in

“The hardest part of the March, not being able to see pandemic for me has been his friends and his grades seeing our nation further divide dropping more than he itself over politics.’ Williams anticipated took a toll on his said. “With the BLM riots, the mental health. election year, the storming of “Recently, I’ve been at the the Capital, and other related top of my game. After Covid incidents, we only grow further hit, I didn’t see my friends for apart from our neighbors, months due to the lockdown. friends, and family.” “I was in a terrible mental

Williams added that his state and felt alone,” Williams fishing trip in Canada and the said. “It took me a while to track and field season were realize that I needed to find also cancelled. He was also happiness through myself unable to see his aunt during instead of through other the shutdown. people.”

“My $20,000 Flight