The week before the spring break of 2020, news reports on the rising coronavirus filled TVs and phone screens. Some freshmen (now seniors) joked about the apples from school lunch being wrapped in Saran Wrap as a health precaution. Others carefully watched as the infection rate increased in the Omaha area. 

Finally, on March 13, these students experienced an abrupt end to their typical freshman year when the COVID-19 pandemic sent students home for an    extended spring break. Senior James Flaugh remembers feeling positive at the beginning of this “break”. 

“I was pretty excited when spring break was extended, because I had a couple tests that I wasn’t ready for, so it kind of gave me a break,” James Flaugh said.

As time progressed, what initially appeared to be a prolonged break from school turned into a months-long quarantine. Cancellation of activities, Zoom meetings in your pajamas, and online quizzes filled students’ days. While there were unenjoyable facets of this new routine, looking back, senior Brittney Clignett can recall benefits of the lockdown.

“I liked it in the beginning when we got sent home, and I actually liked it throughout all of COVID because I went on a lot of walks during class, so it was actually nice,” Clignett said.

However, quarantine didn’t come without adverse effects on things such as students’ social lives and academic motivation.

“It was a little bit disappointing that we weren’t able to be in school as long, because there’s a social aspect that was missing with that long of a break,” Flaugh said. “And it felt like the break just went on too long to be productive.”

With the switch from in-person schooling that partly relied on computers, to doing solely online learning during the beginning of the pandemic, came revelations about students’ learning styles. While Flaugh realized it was easier for him to learn face to face, Clignett discovered the opposite.

“I learned that I learn much better on a computer than I do with paper [and] pencil in person. So that was good. It affected my study habits,” Clignett said.

The mask mandate and the option for online learning faded out for the class of 2023’s junior and senior year. As their upperclassmen years provided relatively normal experiences, seniors are able to look back and reflect on how the pandemic affected them and their high school career. For senior Jessica Blackburn, the pandemic helped her to grow and mature in her independence. 

“I used to depend heavily on friends, and then when COVID hit and we were kind of separated from everyone, I had to learn to be okay standing on my own and not seeing people all the time,” Blackburn said.

In addition to changes to interactions during quarantine, Flaugh acknowledges the less-than-ideal social conditions the pandemic created during the rest of his high school career. 

“I definitely think [COVID] has [impacted my senior year] a little bit, because I feel like sophomore year is kind of a stepping stone, and it was a little bit harder to socialize during COVID, so [there] was a little bit of a difference in senior year,” Flaugh said. 

Blackburn also notices a shift in her activities as a result of the pandemic. As a member of the band, she can see a change in its priorities from her freshman year to senior year. 

“I feel we push more towards being okay mentally over a lot of the stricter things we used to do; I feel we’re more focused on mental well-being than doing well as a band,” Blackburn said. 

COVID-19 and quarantine, while having a variety of negative impacts on seniors, nevertheless have given them a unique experience that has taught them valuable life lessons. 

“This is so cheesy, but I definitely don’t take things for granted anymore, because it can be taken away so fast. And so I’m more cognizant of what’s around me,” Clignett said.

The COVID-19 pandemic, with both its low points and advantageous effects, is undeniably a part of the class of 2023’s high school experience. It is an integral piece of the multitude of memories and life lessons that these students will take with them as their senior year finally comes to an end.