Think back to March 24, 2021. Does that date ring a bell? How about March 25, 2021?

Coming back to school last year was surely an important stepping stone, given that our school was shut down for nearly one whole year. With returning to school, there was a series of guidelines we had to collectively follow: attending classes in either Cohort A or Cohort B, correctly wearing masks at all times, consistently using hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial wipes to clean your desk, following the flow of traffic around campus, etc. Nerves were at an all-time high as students were eager to be on campus again like the good old days.

For many students, the days prior to returning to school were filled with anxiousness, excitement, and anticipation. Having to move from the comforts of our own home on a computer to wearing masks inside the classroom was quite a drastic change. The pandemic had created a new normal for society, including wearing masks, implementing more hygienical practices, and social distancing at least six feet- a new normal that had to be followed in order for the school to remain open for in-person learning.

Zoom forward one year, and here we are today. While some students continue to wear masks, it is not mandatory to do so anymore. Do you know what else is gone? Cohorts and walking a certain direction around campus; the clear plastic screens attached around the desks, gone; taking students’ temperatures and limited points of entry to school, gone.

Seniors have definitely had more to look forward to during these past school months in comparison to the class of 2021. Senior Mireya Ortiz claims that she is “happy and blessed to have activities like Homecoming, Milkcan, Senior Retreat, and Powder Puff.” Ortiz was not the only junior last year who was worried about having a shortened senior year; in fact, many juniors questioned the status of their senior year of high school. Luckily, the class of 2022 has had the opportunity to engage in more senior activities, ultimately leading to a more fulfilling and memorable senior year!

Fortunately, the air seems lighter as we walk through the halls of the school, and our desire for normalcy is inching closer. Given that Covid-19 restrictions have changed from mandatory to now optional, it feels as though life is slowly returning to what once was (pre-pandemic obviously!). While Covid-19 continues to linger on even into the summer, one thing we had this school year that was lost in the chaos of computers, Zoom, and break-out rooms was hope: our days this year have been imperfect at Don Lugo, but hope certainly flourishes in these beautiful moments while on campus.

Today marks a year since Cohort A came back, and Cohort B came back on March 25, 2021. The memories of our return are so vivid that it seems like yesterday we were all a ball of nerves ready to be back on campus; memories that we will surely never forget.