Despite Maryland being in Phase Three of its coronavirus recovery, Montgomery County is still in Phase Two. With Phase Two, there is a 50 person gathering limit, cutting down the number of individuals that can attend school events, if they are in place. Moreover, with the pandemic still going on, fear still lingers in students, and many are reluctant to go outside.
“At Clarksburg High School, most of our traditional events are spirit weeks, homecoming, football games and cultural assemblies which are important to our school because it helps us reflect on the school’s atmosphere and allows students to come together to have fun,” Clarksburg senior and school-wide president Shamla Nazeel said. “Because of the pandemic, there are more restrictions of what we can and cannot do, such as the football games or homecoming, but that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible.”
Many high school sports have gone virtual during the pandemic, making the fall season different, but teams such as the Richard Montgomery High School football team continue to prepare for a possible in-person season both physically and mentally.
“We all try to stay in touch virtually and do the best we can to be together and enjoy each other’s company. With the virtual season, some opportunities have come for us to all gather in one place and share a few hours a day just talking about football as we hope for a season,” Richard Montgomery senior and football quarterback football Kieran Chai-Onn said.
Despite the obstacles and challenges the pandemic has created for schools, there is still hope for students to come together, with the virtual clubs, sports and events that are taking place.
Events such as homecoming are planned to be done virtually or replaced by other events that bring students together in a safe manner.
“Our season hangs in the balance, so every piece of hope we have tends to re-energize the team, but at the same time we are at the point where we are just waiting to see what happens,” Chai-Onn said. “I hope there is some opportunity to compete and experience the feeling of Friday night lights.”
Article by Sarasi Gunasekara of Richard Montgomery High School
Graphic by Ha-Tien Nguyen of Winston Churchill High School