As a senior, my experience as a high schooler is ruined because of COVID-19. A time most of us have been thinking about since freshman year has to start with us in the house, behind a screen. We are incapable of getting the full high school experience the way we are now. Our last time walking into school for the first time, our last time freezing at football games, our last time cheering in enormous crowds all ruined and all gone because we are not allowed to go back to school. The people who are taking it the worst are the athletes.

High school athletes have many scholarship opportunities especially considering the sport they play. For example, football players could easily get a full-ride scholarship to a certain college, if they perform well enough at their game. Many rely on their athleticism to get them through to their life career in that sport.

In US News, it states “Outright cancellation of some high school sports this fall will mean the loss of a year of playing time, which will also mean less game film for potential recruits and fewer opportunities to impress college coaches and set themselves apart in a competitive marketplace of talented athletes.” Canceling the fall sport is a big detriment to not only the students but also the colleges recruiting them.

As for losing the high school experience, staying home behind the computer is not only painfully boring but it could also be hard for students to stay motivated and focused. Furthermore, school is not the only thing on their list. They could be taking care of other siblings’ necessities of learning at home on top of the duties at school while parents are at work. Online learning puts more strain on children with busy households, making it even harder to keep their motivation when they have to be a student and a guardian as a teenager.

A CNN article has stated “Learning at home could also mean that some children may feel disproportionate disadvantages. Some only have school as a safe place to be. Some just can’t focus on a screen for hours at a time.”

I, obviously, can see why some students would want to stay home. It is comfortable, you are in your own safe zone, and you do not have to interact with people. Also, it is less likely for you to be around others with COVID-19. However, those interactions that students may fear will likely build them to become a better student, better communicator, and an overall better person in the future.

We want to take back everything fun about highschool. COVID-19 had the displeasure from stealing right under our fingertips. Students going back to school with proper regulations and restraints can be beneficial to the athletes, students, and parents in more ways than one. Yes, we are still in a global pandemic, but there are other ways other than remote learning to prevent the spread. High schoolers want our high school experience back.