As some light is shed on the COVID-19 pandemic, students have been sent back to school two days a week and soon to be full time. However, the move seems rushed and leaves some in question about whether or not we should be back full time so soon. Back in October when we went back to school in person for the first time this year, things were shaky. Many students and teachers openly voiced their opinions on the new COVID-19 procedures. 

“I’m tired of them jerking us around. They tell us we can go back because it’s safe when clearly it’s not. It’s tiring,” senior Elizabeth Vehige said. 

That attempt at bringing back students fell through quite fast, and now it is time for round two. Though this time things look a little different and it leaves some to wonder if the right precautions are being taken.

“I don’t think they don’t care, but it would be safer if we were not at school. I think they’re giving into the pressure,” Vehige said.

Before, the hallways were a large topic of discussion. Students felt like the one-way hallways did not make much sense. Now, these one-way hallways are gone. This makes some think about if the idea was nonsense to begin with, or if the school is abandoning the proper precautions to be back full time. 

“I really don’t know. With us going back full time I don’t think there is a whole lot that can be done. Classrooms are only so big and with 20 students there isn’t much room for social distancing. I wish the hallways were somehow safer though. I think that the hallways, when school is full again, is going to cause a lot of cases,” senior Kamryn O’Dell said.

Another protocol that is being thrown out the window is social distancing. Staying six feet apart is important to staying safe, yet the decision was made to bring kids back into classrooms and that is going to be almost impossible to social distance in. 

“They say things like stay six feet apart and social distance, but then they’re bringing back everyone and it’s just not possible,” Vehige said. 

Not only is social distancing over in full-time learning, but more and more students are disregarding the mask rules. Students can be seen pulling down their masks throughout the day, and while some teachers enforce the rules, others have not. 

“We need to be wearing masks correctly. I think it’s smart to keep up as safe as we can,” O’Dell said.

The rules of mask-wearing are hypocritical already. Some sports like cheer are required to wear a mask most of, if not all the time. However, very close contact sports like basketball and wrestling are not required to wear a mask during the games. 

“I understand playing a sport with a mask on is uncomfortable, but I’d think COVID would spread faster with a sport like basketball than it would with cheerleading,” O’Dell said.

Students are noticing this inconsistency as well. The special treatment athletes are getting is not something new at this point either.

“They’re always going to get more privilege. More funding, more allowances to be outside of class,” Vehige said.

With construction starting at the school, some teachers will be moved into trailers. This puts everyone closer and is putting the teachers even more at risk. Not only are students upset with the decisions being made, but at least a few teachers are as well. 

“I think it is so stupid. I’ve heard that there will be 2 classrooms in one trailer. That won’t give us any room for social distancing and I think a lot of cases are going to rise from it. I would much rather learn outside where we can spread out,” O’Dell said.

The teachers of our school are at more risk than the students. Putting them in trailers with 30 students seems unsafe. Not to mention the other unfair rules put in place against them. If a teacher is exposed to COVID-19 from their own children at home, they must go on a two-week quarantine, which comes from their own personal time off. 

“The one thing I don’t like is if you were in contact with someone with COVID but you tested negative, you still have to quarantine for 14 days. I understand it’s for safety reasons, I just think if you are negative you should be able to come back,” O’Dell said.

 COVID-19 is still a very serious threat. Our school district should make safety for students and teachers their number one priority. The handling of going back to full-time does not seem safe or in the best interest of students and staff.