The end of the world (as they knew it)

March 13, 2020, a seemingly irrelevant date, is now permanently engraved in the mind of every student and teacher. Initially, the date signified nothing further than the end of midterms week and the beginning of a long-awaited spring break. Sophomore Jacob Velarde recalls the infamous date, vividly describing the events of the day before the, originally, week-long break. 

“I remember walking out of [school], and that day in biology, we got assigned [a project] where we had to grow these fish,” Velarde said. “It was a project we were [going to] do until the end of [the] school [year]. And then we just went home.”

After the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic, students’ return to school was heavily contemplated by the district. Students, like Velarde, assumed classes would resume as usual following the break. Others, like senior Madelyn Bloom, viewed the unfolding events as a foreshadowing of school closures. 

“We actually had a [theater] competition [March 14],” Bloom said. “As soon as we left [on Friday], we got a message from our directors that we had to come back and unload everything from the truck because we weren’t going. We were like ‘What is going on? This is just a small little thing.’ And then spring break happened. As things started progressing, I’ve always been a little bit pessimistic, so I was like ‘No, I don’t think [we’re going back].’” 

Shortly thereafter, the district announced its official cancellation of classes for the remainder of the school year, plunging students and teachers alike into the uncharted territory: online learning.