Morning Routines
Blue( Luci ): On Monday and Thursday mornings, my alarm wakes me up. I pick up my phone, turn my alarm off, and begin preparing for my school day. I throw on a casual outfit, head to the bathroom, brush my teeth, comb my hair, apply makeup and sunscreen, then race down the stairs and begin making breakfast. I scramble a few eggs together with a sprinkle of shredded cheese, my “favorite” meal. While eating, I multi-task and begin packing my book bag. Next, I double-check my supplies and race out the door. Just before leaving , I ask, “Do I have a mask”? Stopping dead in my tracks, I run back inside, grab a mask, and once again run out the door. Now, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday there is a whole different routine. I wake up at seven am, groan at the thought of homework, hop out of bed, throw on a sweatshirt with a pair of comfy socks, and sweatpants or pajamas. This is my virtual outfit. I may brush my teeth and comb my hair but that depends on my motivation level. I slowly mozy to my desk in the basement or dining room, pull out my supplies and begin traveling down to the virtual classroom and the never ending hole of homework
Orange( Victoria ): As I wake up on Monday and Thursday morning’s, I don’t hear my alarm going off. I get to wake up with a relaxed morning routine. I see the emails coming in from my teachers L-Z online assignments and try to wake up. I get up out of bed, brush my teeth, my hair, get dressed (in sweatpants!!), and go eat breakfast. Sometimes, we add the additional trip to the Dunkin’ drive through for a medium iced coffee. I sit at my desk waiting for the motivation to kick in and begin my work. First, I typically start with my first class (either IB Lit & Lang or IB Euro) and move through my day. On the other hand, during my school days on Tuesday’s and Friday’s, I wake up to the sound of my beeping alarm. I want to sleep in for five more minutes, but I roll out of bed and get ready for school.
Class load/struggles
Blue( Luci ): The thought of at-home learning sounded fantastic at first. Sleeping in late, staying in your pajamas, and completing homework at your own pace, I thought it was a dream come true. But now….this hybrid schedule has got me tripping. On days at home, my stress level goes through the roof as I watch the notifications on my Gmail app rapidly increase throughout the day, while trying to balance my classroom attendance, my needy dog who constantly seeks attention, my sisters annoying video games, and my parents push to complete my chores. Before, I felt like school days would slowly drag along but now there is hardly enough time!
Orange( Victoria ): You would think only attending school two times a week would make the workload and learning experience easier. No, it doesn’t. If anything, my stress levels are even higher than they were before. It could be the fact that I am also a junior, but this schedule is a factor. Managing my time isn’t hard to do the work, but teaching myself how to do precalc is kind of frustrating.
Face masks & social distancing
Blue( Luci ): A normal school day during a pandemic is seven hours long. Out of those seven hours, I wear a mask for six of them. The mask is constantly annoying me because it is always moving on my face, I can’t understand what anyone is saying because their voices are muffled, it reflects my morning breath, and as I scramble through the hallways trying to be on time to my next class I’m gagged by my mask when trying to breathe in. I’m here to tell you THE STRUGGLE IS REAL!
Orange( Victoria ): Today, I was sitting in class and thinking “wearing a mask to school feels illegal, but being without it feels even more illegal.” The time we are living in is weird. You get hot and tired of wearing a mask over your face. Talking in class means your mask slowly falling down your face. Eating in class? That was a time. I hate being hungry in all my classes now until lunch occurs. It’s also a strange occurrence having to stay so many feet away from your friends, teachers, and social life. The whole point of school is having a social environment to learn in. This year, we don’t get that.
Socializing
Blue( Luci ): Back in the good old days, the hallways were packed full of students who were socializing with their friends during passing periods and the lobby was full of students lingering. Now, the hallways and lobby are a ghost town. The library used to be everyone’s favorite hang out spot, but today, it’s silent like it’s supposed to be. The only person I see consistently is the cut out of Dr. Oaks, located in the lobby.
Orange( Victoria ): Walking through the halls at LHS is kinda depressing. I miss seeing my friends smiling back at me in the hallway. Especially considering the fact our school is split in half, I haven’t seen a large number of my school friends since March 12. With the one-way hallways now, you are rushing through the hallways trying to get to class on time. You don’t have any time to hang out with your friends. When I see someone in the hallway I haven’t seen in a while, I get so happy. I miss the socialization aspect of LHS. We are such a big community, not sitting in the library with your friends laughing and talking, it changes the mood. There are also minimum sports and activities happening outside of school.
After School
Blue( Luci ): When the lion roars at 3:31PM, I race out of the building, yank my mask off and dab my face dry from my days worth of sweat I’ve accumulated then I exit out the athletic entrance. My parents pick me up and we begin the forty minute voyage home. Once I get there I grab my backpack from the car and run inside after making it home from a long day of learning. The first thing I do is grab a snack, head to my desk, and begin my three hour journey of homework. My at home days look the same as my in person days except I don’t have to get dressed or wear a mask. My classmates consist of my annoying sister and four legged friend Jesse. Usually after dinner I finish any assignments, close my chromebook, and go to sleep.
Orange( Victoria ): Once the last bell finally rings, I run to the lobby. I don’t see my friends crowding there to socialize and compare our days. Nobody is even there besides administration. I walk out to my car while aggressively ripping off my face mask after a full 7 hours wearing it. I wave bye to my friends and put my car in reverse. I drive out of the parking lot and head down Broadway to go home. On my online days, I shut my laptop lid and call it a day.