Locked away

By Savio Motha

I remember March 13th just like it was yesterday because it really does feel as if it was yesterday. It was my freshman year of high school. It was a normal day. I just played basketball and went to class. It was 6th period math, the class I always dreaded. We took notes and did homework just like any other day until Ms. Wei, my teacher, mentioned an email. Everyone stopped talking which was pretty rare for that class and she said, “Oh we're gonna be on break for three weeks.” I remember my initial thoughts being excitement and relief due to the fact that we had lots of tests coming up. I thought, ‘Man, I can stay home and do what I want for 3 weeks. Sign me up.’ Little did I, or better yet we, know that life was about to change.

Jared: “It was junior year I forgot what class I was in but I just kept seeing like posts a lot of posts and all that saying people talking about Covid or saying like oh it might be the next big pandemic and all that no one really cared about it”

That was Yerba Buena graduate Jared Valencia, now a college freshman going on to be a physical trainer and I would say he spoke for most of us. We didn't care. We thought it was great. We got to go home and have a break to just play games, watch movies, and read whatever we wanted. There were many different opinions but the most common was that it was a nice break and we thought it was nice nobody saw it as a threat; nobody cared. Enter Josiah Hopfer, a 7th grader at the time who shared his thoughts on the first month or two of quarantine.

Josiah: “Off rip I really didn't care to be honest I really hear about it for months… to be honest it was great there wasn't even school for like a solid couple of weeks and then zoom started and that was terrible I'm like alright this isnt that bad but it just slowly got worse because like at home it's so easy to just so easy to go to sleep and like I don't wanna go to math like you know?”

Most people felt okay but things turned for the worse as the days passed. Grades and mental health were taking big hits for many with no friends or even much social interaction at all. And grades were another beast in the closet. Many had difficulties including wifi, not getting enough help, or just too many distractions. It was an endless and dreadful time to say the least. I remember just doing what I could, trying my best and still watching my grades drop. My A’s became B's and then turned into C’s. I just wanted to pass and it sure didn't help that the teachers barely knew what they were doing. I couldn't learn, I was just passing by. Although for many that wasn't the case. It was just a limitless, never ending struggle and some just gave up.

Now entering the 2020-2021 school year — my sophomore year — I remember feeling odd after a summer of doing whatever I wanted. Now, still being at home it felt wrong. I should've been at school but we weren't, still trapped and locked down. At the start of the year, though I was doing great, I had straight A's and I could still build relationships with those behind the screen. There was someone who had a similar experience having a good first term.

Johny: “I was like a straight A student in the first term. Literally the second term did not care and I slept through all my classes and then I went on Minecraft…”

That was Johny Du, a Sophomore at Yerba Buena High School.

This was common for a lot of people who started the year nicely and would get decent to good grades. However as time went on tolerance, patience, and morale were at an all time low especially during the second half of the year.

The one constant thing I've heard from people I’ve asked is that what they feel like they missed most is their friends and their social life. Jared had missed out on his “senior experience.”

Jared: “Something that I missed probably just the senior experience being at home. I didn't really get to experience all the events and all that, it was still kinda weird just not even being able to be in person and talk with people or even hang out with teachers and all that. The connection, the vibes of classes and all that.”

Now this is where you would think as per usual in stories it only gets worse. But I would like to switch the flow, shining light on the positive impact it had on these individuals who surprised me with their answers to questions I thought I had guaranteed answers from. Now these positives may be for many reasons, for example convenience.

Going back to Josiah, he spoke about online school and what got him through the whole experience.

Josiah: “It was actually pretty fun. I would mainly chill and oh media arts class that got me through 8th grade. The one fun class got me through 8th grade like oh my god it was so fun just being on the computer and making stuff helped me through my classes… Ooh MR CHIN that guy is a whole G it was great.”

Just like Josiah, many enjoyed quarantine because they could stay home, play video games, read, and watch movies or shows. However, what surprised me the most was Jared’s thoughts on this.

Jared: “It was kind of wack but fun because even though we were all online and weren't able to be in person and talk to friends or hangout it felt like I was actually able to learn more being in my own room and all that instead of being in class because in class I would just mess around just play on my phone but being here I was actually kinda able to focus on zoom and all that.”

For me his answer was shocking. I remember getting straight A's all year but never once did I feel that I was learning anything. All my classes felt like a payless job. I did what I had to do and moved on. I never felt like I was retaining anything I was at home.

Now welcoming the year 2022, present day school is in person and just recently masks are no longer required. Day by day you can see more and more people's faces and their smiles.

Students are now back in class and most like it, some don't. Frankly, some really couldn't care less and would rather go back to online, like Josiah.

Josiah: “Man it feels the same I still don't really care like I mean to be honest I think i'd rather go back to quarantine ‘cause I could still just chill at home while in school I'm all stressed im like I don’t wanna be here I wanna go home during quarantine im like uh I wanna go to school my grades are bad if I went to school my grades wouldn't be bad then I go to school my grades are bad I wanna go home…”

Personally I'm glad to be back and it feels as “normal” as I think it's gonna get. I have interaction with my friends and teachers in person and I feel like I'm actually learning again and now I'm looking forward to the future and there are others doing the same. Jared, who’s one of those people, now at the age of 19 just wants to “take it one day at a time”.

Jared: “What I'm looking forward to is kinda like an odd thing but just getting older you know just getting more experience with people and like actual life instead of just being in school you know I gotta go out there and grind like get a job keep studying in college one day at a time.”

Time waits for no one person. Live every day to the fullest, try new things, meet new people, take risks, just always remember that you only have one life. Don't waste it. Michale McMillion once said, “You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.” Whether you're a teen, a kid, or an adult, life always goes on, don't lock yourself away and miss opportunities behind closed doors.

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