MR. CURCIO / English I remember a few years ago during a pep assembly whenever the stands included every single member of the Trojan Empire. I used to look at pep assemblies as a staple of high school, but I took note of how polarized the student body looked sitting there. Half were on the feet, cheering and clapping with every forced “woo!” and “Go Big Blue!” The other half? It was a waste of time. All that energy, pomp and circumstance, school spirit, and… nothing. They say you don’t realize what you have until it's gone, or as Cinderella’s 80s power ballad said, you don't know what you got (till it's gone), as if the concept of something being gone is an afterthought. Something being taken away is impossible; it will always be there, right? Even if you don’t appreciate it or acknowledge its importance in your life - it’ll always be ready for you when you are ready to accept it. The coronavirus and its restrictions have taken a lot out of what makes a high school some of the best years of your life. I’m talking about the little things like hallway banter, Friday night lights, after school clubs, the list really could go on and on. But I think the #1 thing that has been affected, from a teacher’s perspective, is opportunity. The opportunity to physically sign up for something to give it a shot. The opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and attend something. Some of you might read that and say, “I’ve never liked any of those things before.” That might be true, but pre-COVID, those opportunities were all choices that you made. Now, choices are very limited. I often think back on high school, and I often regret missing the opportunities that I chose not to take. The dance that I didn’t attend where a memory occurred. The sport I didn’t play. The club that I always wanted to try, but didn’t. You will never receive those opportunities ever again. But at least I had a choice… and you will too. Eventually, this will all go back to some version of “normal.” Normal is a relative term, but for conversation sake, let’s call it pre-COVID. Sure, there still will be some restrictions. There will still be guidelines for ultimate safety. But the events and opportunities that make high school what it is, they will return. Here’s my challenge to you: don’t take them for granted. If you want to try something new or attend something different or reinvent yourself. Do it. The coronavirus was, and unfortunately, still is a terrible thing… but I do believe that a lot of good can and will come out of it. Pre-COVID, this school was great. However, I think that when things get better, this school can be amazing. Pre-COVID, we had a decent amount of participation in all that high school has to offer. I think that when things get better, participation should be at all-time highs. When things get better, the only thing that will be hybrid will be that you get to still carry around a chromebook with you. But carrying it around and living on it are two different things. Start to think about what kind of student you want to be when things get better… and I think, in the process, high school will be a lot better too. MR. CURCIO / English
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