Will next school year be back to normal?

Eliana Dutil, Reporter

With so many negative effects of the Coronavirus, all we can do is have a positive mindset and be hopeful for the future. We would all like to believe that eventually life and life in school will return to the same normal we knew less than two years ago. But the dreaded possibility must be in the back of our minds when considering our futures: Is this the new normal?
Masks keep us safe from spreading sickness, so will we ever feel safe without them? And if so how long?  As soon as next year? It’s taken us so long to adapt to distancing ourselves from family and friends and being isolated –  how will we reintroduce ourselves into the social scene? These are all harsh realities we must be willing to ask ourselves and each other. How many more changes and adjustments are staff and students willing to make? Although we should be hopeful for a disease free future, how long will we be battling Coronavirus, and what’s to come after?  How long will we have before the next worldwide pandemic? How has the reaction to this pandemic going to change how we react to viral flus in the future? So many unknowns seem to be a constant theme throughout this entire experience. Maybe our new president’s significantly faster reaction time will reduce the length of the Coronavirus’s life but who’s to say for sure.
One thing we can do is compare our data to the data of other countries and how they’ve either effectively combated the virus or how they’ve fallen short in their efforts. But where we must focus most of our attention is the future of our school. When asked if they predicted the return of a “normal”school year Guiliana Durben (11) said, “ I honestly think that we will return to normal, but I think it won’t be as soon as next year. I feel like it’s a long process.”  Mathew Harangozo (11) added, “I feel hopeful with the vaccine now…it should really help distribute immunity in our school, like parents and stuff.” Mathew, a junior soon to be senior at Manitou Springs, also said, “I just really want a fun senior year…that’s all I want.”
It is really scary not knowing what’s to come in the future and if things will get worse before they get better. Facing this pandemic without any warning has been a challenge that we have proved to be strong as acommunity. No one can tell for sure what is to come next year but all we have to control is our attitudes and flexibility to whatever the world has to throw at us.