COVID

COVID-19, or Coronavirus; an infectious disease caused by interaction with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus strain. A simple definition for a word that means so much more than a single sentence.

A word that has been inculcated into our minds, that symbolises fear, disconnection, and a sea of lost opportunities. The lives of the students of Geelong Grammar School are no exception. For two years now, our education, our social lives, our sports and our relationships with our families abroad have been severely affected.

The most discouraging aspect being that while the rest of the world had seen a significant return to normalcy, our lives seemed to have grown ever far from it. The end of this turbulent uncertainty seemed to be ever prolonged; the light at the end of the tunnel kept growing further and further out of reach.

We are immensely blessed that our health has remained protected, the same cannot be said for other parts of the world. However, it cannot be argued that we have not missed out, nor that we have not suffered in other areas. The cycle of in and out of online learning caused extreme disruption to our education that, in some situations, played a detrimental impact on students’ futures and their willingness to endeavour in the classroom. Further, staple high school experiences, Geelong Grammar experiences, were also foregone. Students were separated from their families, whether it be for weeks or months, and a sense of independence was forced on them in order to endure the challenges posed by this nightmarish situation.

With the covid implications drawing on for so long, and us being still so young, it is sometimes difficult to remember what ‘normal’ actually is. Being able to get on a plane and travel across the world, or even venture through town without a mask on seems so foreign, so impossible, so unrealistic. It is easier to forget that we are living through a pandemic than one might think. We must remember that with each day, we are writing the pages of history that will be taught to generations to come.

Yes, the past two years have been onerous to say the least, but with the conclusion of 2021 on the horizon and promises of a reduction in lockdowns and border closures following improved vaccination rates, it seems the end is finally within reach. This revolutionary, life-altering event is finally drawing to a close.

written by zarli dickinson