RE Log Spring 2021

20 Ransom Everglades LOG SPRING 2021 “About 10 years ago my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. It’s been a long journey since then. Recently we’ve had to be extra careful with her health. We agreed as a family that my brother and I would come back to school after she received the first dose of the vaccine. What makes me feel safe returning to campus is knowing that there hasn’t been a widespread outbreak. I’m very impressed with all the cleaning stations throughout campus and the new class set-ups. It’s sad to say, but everything we are doing on campus feels really normal – the masks, the social distancing, washing your hands 10 times more than usual. I feel if we had to go on with this for a couple years to come, we could definitely do it because we’re doing it well right now. There are some things we have really missed this year: I loved attending football games. Hanging out with my friends after school, going into the Grove to get dinner, and rushing back to the stands crowded with students. One of my best friends is a starter on the football team, and all I said was ‘good luck’ before the ‘Battle for the Oar.’ Worst of all, I texted it; I didn’t even say it in person. For the most part, things are moving forward – it’s different, though. I’m on the robotics team, and we were lucky to go to an in-person robotics tournament. It was all outdoors, except for the two competition fields inside. When your team was scheduled to compete, you had to line up outside, six feet apart, get hand sanitizer outside the gym, and they would only allow a few team members to enter. Usually at robotics tournaments, everyone runs up for the big matches and they crowd the field in suspense, watching the clock tick down and counting out the score. It wasn’t the same: We were standing outside on our phones, watching on a virtual link even though the real thing was just 10 feet away. It took a lot of energy out of the event. It created that distant-but-together feeling. At the few swim meets we had, we would line up before each race, each swimmer standing by a separate cone, waiting for the heat in front to finish. When that race was done, those swimmers would get out, put on their masks, and walk off on the other side, so we didn’t have to pass anyone as we entered. We wore masks until we stepped up on the blocks. Despite the differences, I’m definitely enjoying being back. At home, school went on, but it just wasn’t the same. I’m a people person. I like to interface in real life. Virtual made that hard. Now I’m walking in the halls and I see people all the time. A lot of the people I hadn’t seen in a long time seemed more friendly than usual. I think that’s what this has done to us. This has forced everyone to really think about their relationships. It’s something we’ve all learned throughout COVID: to really value other people. I’m really proud of myself, my family and our community.” Victor Perez ’23 Robotics, swimming, water polo At home / In person