Halt to a hard year

Pressure to be productive

Text by ANDIE TETZLAFF Art by XIAOHAN LI HALT TO A HARD YEAR JUNIOR CLASS VEXED BY SCHOOL CLOSURES S ECOND SEMESTER JUNIOR year is a time that most ing its campus for four weeks. It came as a shock to me, realizing high schoolers dread, yet acknowledge is essential for their that it would be the last time I would see many of my friends and futures. Imagine this: It’s March, you’ve just taken your classmates. SAT and are prepared to dive into Advanced Placement At first, my twin sister and I felt stuck and a little unmotitest prep. You spend every brunch at Peet’s Coffee chugging your vated. But we kept pushing through the year, keeping up with usual caffeinated drink in a desperate attempt to regain lost enerour online learning and researching potential colleges. This was gy. You’re excited about spring break, a week packed with college still our second semester junior year, even though it looked a little visits at universities that have caught your eye. If you’re an athlete, different than expected. We decided to quit living in the past — you’re using this year to show off your athletic skills, hoping to hoping for schools to reopen and events to be rescheduled — and draw the attention of college scouts. As summer approaches, you’ll decided to make the most of the present. start your common app essays and the college application process. Online learning, for now, is the new normal, and with it

Like many other juniors, this was my plan for second semescomes a couple of hardships. Most students have to learn the mater. However, with the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 and the terials on their own, and sure, you can schedule zoom meetings consequent school closures and shelter-in-place orders, intricatewith teachers for help, but you don’t get that same in-class experily-planned junior years have been thrown off course, ence. Though at times I struggle to actually learn anything events have been postponed indefinitely and sumwithout the in-class support of my teachers, it’s all mer programs have been canceled. we have at the moment.

Now, everything has moved online. Even as someone who tends to complain While some may think of this as a relief — about school a lot, the current state of our with many accommodations granted to us lives under the shelter-in-place has taught me due to the unfortunate circumstances — it to stop taking my education for granted. My isn’t. This is an incredibly important time of schooling is something that has always been our high school careers, and we don’t get to an afterthought — a mandatory part of my experience it to the fullest. For many juniors, this daily routine — but I never stop to think about year is crucial for uncovering hidden interests. Perthe joy that it actually brings me. When I think sonally, I discovered a hidden passion for psychology about it, there are many aspects of school that I miss. One and astronomy, but have now lost opportunities to major aspect that I’ll miss are the current seniors. These very sefully connect with these subjects as well as the teachers niors, many of which I’ve grown to love and admire, are leaving who introduced me to them. the Paly community. I’m sad that I wasn’t able to give them a

Going into this school year, I was ready to commit proper goodbye. myself to academics and success. When I was a three The novel coronavirus has done a lot of damage in the sport athlete during my first two years of high school, world, taking the lives of many, many people every day I found minimal time to focus on schoolwork, limitand it is very important to continue to comply with the ing my ability to reach my academic goals. This was Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regulations, to my year to step up my game and prove to colleges help slow the spread of the deadly respiratory virus. Alwhat I am truly capable of — keeping in mind though college admissions are an incredibly stressful that they value an upwards trajectory. To fully subject right now, it is important to remember the accomplish this, I ended up quitting basketball, bigger picture in this global pandemic. a sport that I truly loved, in order to open up a People everywhere are facing extreme large amount of free time dedicated to studyhardships during this time, making it ing for my upcoming SAT in March, even more important to support one blissfully unaware of what would come another. I am thankful to be a part of next. an incredibly supportive community at

When my SAT was canceled the Paly and part of a junior class known day before my test date, I felt a loss of for being a tight-knit group of ambihope. This was the first part of my jutious and spirited students. We’re all nior year that did not go according to plan. Then, on March 13, an announceHITTING THE BOOKS — My twin sister, Jenna, studies for her AP exams, which took place from May 11 going through this together and we’ll all make it out of this as more mature, ment revealed that Paly would be closthrough May 22. Photo by Andie Tetzlaff appreciative and genuine people. v