RM students have been impacted by the pandemic, and it is reflected in their habits, routines, and ambitions. Students struggle under the weight of getting back on track academically and relearning foundations they may have neglected during online learning.

These effects of the lockdown extend to high schools across the nation. According to a study by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 87 percent of public schools felt that the lockdown negatively affected student social-emotional development, and 84 percent agreed that it was detrimental to behavioral development as well.

Opting in or out of mask-wearing in school was a challenging decision for many students. Senior Makda Tesfaye wore her mask all of last school year for the protection of both herself and others surrounding her, but this fall, she decided to go maskless. 

“Last year, almost everyone in my classes wore a mask, but this year almost no one does. I wanted to go with the norm and felt comfortable taking it off this year since I’m boosted and have both vaccines,” Tesfaye said. 

Freshman Shreel Belbase agreed. “I’m not as afraid of COVID anymore since we have a vaccine and cases are going down,” Belbase said.

On the other hand, sophomore Ilana Vainstein made the decision to keep her mask on this school year. “I wore a mask last year because everyone did and I felt like it would be weird to not wear one. I still wear one now because I hate changing something about my appearance and having people point it out,” Vainstein said.

Furthermore, students say COVID-19 has affected their relationships and development of social skills.

“During the entirety of the pandemic, I questioned if I would ever get back the privilege of spending time with loved ones, playing sports, and attending clubs,” Tesfaye said. “Recently, COVID is better contained with vaccines… but I do fear how it has affected my college application and maturity level.”

Vainstein’s relationships were also greatly affected by the virus. “After barely socializing during the 2020-2021 year, I still get drained when I talk to people for too long and need time alone to recharge,” Vainstein said. 

On the contrary, junior Johnathan Muwanguzi found online learning to be beneficial and took advantage of his additional free time. Muwanguzi worked at a fast food restaurant taking customer orders in the drive through. “Online was nice since I had the time to get a job during school,” he said.