COVID-19 Around the World

COVID19 AROUND THE WORLD

ART BY JESSE HAUSKNECHT-BROWN

A look at the lives of two high school students, one living in Germany and one at City High, and how COVID-19 is affecting them and their education

By Julius Perez

The world has been thrown into a period of chaos and uncertainty. Students and schools are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in a variety of different ways. Approaches taken by City High offer some similarities as well as some striking differences from those abroad.

Vincent Schnitzler ‘23, who goes by Vinny, was a foreign exchange student from Cologne, Germany at City High during the 2019-2020 school year. He had to cut his trip short when schools closed down due to the pandemic in March.

Schnitzler’s school, Nicolaus-Cusanus-Gymnasium, like City High, started the year online, but its students are now able to go back to the classroom.

“I think [my school is] doing a good job with the resources they have. Germany doesn’t really put that much money into schools, I feel like the US has way more funding,” Schnitzler said.

Even though Schnitzler agrees that the pandemic has brought some difficult changes to Germany and to school this year, he is seeing the rather good side of things as well.

“I actually really like school this year. I mean in Germany especially because we used to be kind of really behind digital- Jeff Bezos and other billionaires ly, we’d read and write and do are really profiting from the everything on paper,” Schnit- pandemic and how most peozler said. ple just suffer,” Schnitzler said.

Nicolaus-Cusanus-Gymna- Ashley Kelly ‘23 explained sium doesn’t provide each stu- how what teachers are teaching dent with their own computer, just feels normal, she says they so the challenges brought by don’t talk about the pandemic the new situation has forced in an academic way or study some changes. any of its outcomes or ramifi-

“I think we had like 10 Per- cations. This is much different sonal Computers in our school from Schnitzler’s school, where before,” Schnitzler said. “Now the curriculum has changed we have to involve around two full rooms “I think [my school is] COVID-19. Despite of computers and something around doing a good job with the resources they have. the pandemic and all the changes 200 iPads at our school.” Germany doesn’t really it brought, Schnitzler

However, put that much money still feels the school has a whole into schools, I feel like like his daily routine and new sys- the US has way more life haven’t tem during the age of funding.” changed, and his COVID-19. The conVINCENT SCHNITZLER FORMER CITY HIGH EXCHANGE STUDENT mental health isn’t tent they are suffering. learning in It’s a differschool has changed to relate to ent case for Kelly. the current issues in the world. “I definitely would say I’m

“I feel like a lot of topics breaking out which is a sign of like social studies and history stress for me… I’m just more focus on corona, for instance stressed than normal,” Kelly in history we’re learning about said. the 1918 flu pandemic and Kelly says the content the Black Death. In Econom- isn’t necessarily focused on ic Studies we’re learning about COVID-19 or anything out of (COVID-19’s) impact on the the ordinary this school year, economy, and how people like but online school this year has forced her to do things in a new way.

“I’m teaching myself,” Kelly said. “The teachers will try to teach me but it doesn’t click as well because I’m not in a classroom… So I’m spending all this time teaching myself and relearning.”

This is a drastic deviation from Schnitzler’s experience. His classes are much smaller than the ones at City High, giving the teachers more direct time with individual students. He hasn’t had to do any late night relearning this year. Kelly, who was signed up for the hybrid option this year, wasn’t expecting online school. She didn’t realize the physical and mental toll it would take.

“Being on screens all day is so exhausting, [the teachers] give us so much homework I just can’t do it because I’m just tired from being on my computer all day,” Kelly said.

Schnitzler’s school is almost back to business as usual, and life is feeling normal with a comfortable amount of free time. While Kelly is struggling with the new ways of doing things, a version of school that is vastly different from Schnitzler’s.

“I just feel like they’re putting so much on us when we only have so much time to do it,” Kelly said.

BELOW: Ashley Kelly ‘23 works on her online homework from her bedroom. PHOTO COURTESY OF ASHLEY KELLY