By Melany Calderon Piedrasanta & Denice Medina
During the majority of 2020, students have switched to learning virtually instead of learning in person. The pandemic has brought ups and downs, and with a new year, many have hope. Yet alarming events that have happened this year have left some scared for what is next to come. With overfilled hospitals, mass unemployment, and conflict in federal politics, many people in the San Marin community are hoping for a better year.
Sophomore, Emma Bach
“I miss just being able to see people and talk to teachers in person because I can’t get the response through Gmail or quickly as needed to complete something. I miss sports and social gatherings all together in school. And I noticed that I’m lacking in my social skills as well.”
Counselor, Caroline Hoj
“The biggest way that remote learning has impacted me as a counselor is not being able to help students in person. The majority of our students have been very communicative over email, but I miss being able to chat with students in my office and say hi to them on campus.”
Sophomore, Dillion Gaidano
“I will say right now [our generation] is a lot more impactful because of the online presence we have. If you go back just as early as the 90s or the early 2000s people called more stuff out and stuff got done. Nowadays it’s like we almost lost that touch with people canceling others for minor offenses you might have done 5 or 10 years ago. I feel like we are, as a generation, quick to action. I feel like that is a negative, along with a positive because we can make change but we can also make change in a negative way. It has directly impacted what I wish to say, what I wish to do. I am a proud Republican but I do want to say certain things online and I want to do certain things, but I am quite afraid that what I do and my belief might be interpreted, in 10 years or 5 years, as something racist or offensive. I want to be able to have a good job and have a good life, so I am almost not willing to say everything I want to say sometimes.”
Assistant resource teacher, Maryan Matthews
“To be more positive and to have a more positive output, and hoping for COVID is finally reining in a bit with the vaccination, and that life can go back to normal soon. I just want to enjoy life more, be able to go outside and meet with people, and just enjoy what life has to offer.”
