School Opening in the Fall

Eveleen F., JV Reporter

I personally think MACES should open this fall. It’s possible that by this fall everything will be calmed down. But if it’s still an issue, not a major issue though, I think students should return if they wear a face mask and maybe gloves. But the school should be sanitizing everything to keep it clean and not risk anyone getting COVID-19. Also maybe moving the chairs far apart from each other, so that not a lot of students make contact. MACES should do something like having middle school take an earlier lunch so that high school students can have their lunch right after. Since MACES does have a lot of students they could do that to minimize the contact and the students will have some space. But overall, I think MACES should open in the fall.

Should MACES Reopen in the Fall?

Vanity R., JV Reporter

I don’t think MACES should reopen for the fall semester of the 2020-2021 school year. As much as I’d like to enjoy my first day of senior year in a classroom with my friends and teachers, I don’t think it would be the wisest idea due to the coronavirus outbreak. As a student, I’ve seen us adapt and accept multiple new circumstances and guidelines that are in place for our safety and comfort. For example, active shooter drills, gender neutral restrooms, uniform policies, and much more. However, COVID-19 has affected the lives of millions and will continue affecting every life until the virus has come to a standstill. With students returning to school in the fall there could be a potential spread of COVID-19 due to the fact that students have all spent time with potential COVID-19 carriers and could bring the virus to the students and staff at MACES.

Schools should not fully reopen in the fall, here’s why.

Bruno B., Online Editor 

The main reason schools closed in the first place throughout LAUSD and around the country was because they wanted to prevent the physical dangers that came from interaction between a large number of students and teachers. Now that we are 3 months into the outbreak of COVID-19, possibilities of reopening schools for the students in many districts also come with it. Though it’s easy to think minimal progress has been made in stopping the outbreak, the change is big once you compare the death rate that was occuring at the beginning of the outbreak amongst COVID-19 patients. When it comes to a big group of people in the country (students) it seems rather dangerous to send them back to school as early as Fall of 2020. This would only seem to backtrack us from all of the progress we’ve made.

Sending students back during this time puts our health and economy at risk. In a scenario where schools were to fully reopen in the semester of Fall of 2020, the cases would definitely go up. In a big classroom environment, it would be easy for the virus to spread. The ways are as follows: student to teacher, student to student, or staff to student. When the infected individual goes home, they’re likely to spread it to their family. This could possibly make the situation worse in regards to COVID-19 cases and deaths. From an economic standpoint, if students or staff members were to get the virus, school districts would be big targets for lawsuits.  The sped-up process of reopening schools as early as Fall of 2020 could result in much public backlash.

Keep Learning Virtual

Leslie C., Reporter 

Virtual learning is something we are all going to have to get used to for a while. As much as I miss my friends and teachers, I’d much rather prefer for everyone to be safe. I prefer virtual learning for my safety and the safety of those I care about. If we were to do a mixture of online school and physical school, it would still be a big risk. Just one student catching the virus can lead to many. Also, there are so many students including myself who have to take public transportation in order to get to school. These students are at a bigger risk because buses are not spacious and get filled up pretty quickly. I would feel comfortable if I did not have to catch the bus every day to and from school during a pandemic.

Classes on COVID

Andres F., Multimedia Editor 

School has always been a very physical thing regardless of how much a person can get done at home. Sometimes you’d much rather prefer to do the work in the comfort of your home because a particular class gives you nothing. But as topics become more and more involved,  face-to-face interactions become required. Math, science, and P.E. are some of the few classes that require a student and teacher relationship. However, one of the subjects that should not be as prioritized is English. This class is not the most visual, which means students can easily turn in work without having to interact with people. 

Upon opening up, schools will take up a new form entirely. Student body health will always be a priority, despite the virus having a small mortality rate. It is very upsetting that people are dying, but at least for the most part, the effect is not so widespread. However, this virus is very contagious and incubates for a very long period of time, which means it is still able to spread. High schools are Petri Dishes; everyone is so crammed in together in one contained space for hours on end. The safest and most effective form of protecting the student body, faculty, and parents is to limit the number of students at school.

The future of education in LAUSD is a mixed system. Perhaps some students rotate in-and-out of the class to decrease class sizes. Teachers may livestream themselves in the classroom with a few students in the room and others watching online at home taking notes. In all honesty, some classes require very little student-teacher interaction. Classes such as English and history should be strictly online. No one likes what’s happening, but we must limit the virus’s spread no matter what. At any point, the virus may mutate and become more problematic. At this point, it affects the elderly and a few unlucky victims who have a very severe response, but the vast majority of people can recover and are only slightly affected. This is a job for the board members to discuss amongst themselves, but we can’t stay locked up forever. The quality of education suffers because of it. Not to mention that a school is a place where social interaction occurs, so eliminating that entirely makes us less socialized and more awkward.

I Want Schools to Open, But They Really Shouldn’t

Enrique G., Arts & Entertainment Editor 

Should MACES open in the Fall?  It depends on how the situation is during that time. If the virus is contained or if there is a cure, then of course! Everything should go back to normal, but if nothing has changed, then there is no real point or argument in going back. Go back to school and risk making the situation worse, or wait in the hopes of everything getting better? It’s a difficult decision especially considering that learning online has been extremely difficult for some students and it isn’t always the most efficient. Frustrations are inevitable, but that’s a small price to pay when compared to the impact the virus can have.

Even though there is a lot of negative feedback concerning going back to school, if there’s the slightest chance or if there’s a way possible, it should be done. But that’s what I want to say; that’s what my emotions tell me, but we can’t really allow emotions to control our decisions. Logic is needed and the best way to keep everyone safe is to stay inside. There is no need to take unnecessary risks.

Let’s keep it virtual

Daniella H., EIC-Design 

Even though I fantasized my entire life about being able to drive meaninglessly around the city, enjoy bonfires at the beach with my friends, attend every football game my senior year, and put on the prettiest dress for homecoming, I know it’s not worth putting people’s lives in danger. It’s a bittersweet feeling. It’s good to know that for the most part, we’re prioritizing public health, but I do feel upset that it had to come to this. 

Although I love to complain about the countless assignments, the overwhelming exams, and the immense amount of anxiety school gives me, I can truly admit that I do miss what it gifted me with. It gave me friends, it taught me valuable life lessons, and it made me self-aware. I miss putting on a uniform, drinking a smoothie every day, and expecting the same routine as the week before. As much as I miss my Wolfpack family, their safety will always trump my yearn to be around them. I don’t think it’s reasonable to jeopardize the wellbeing of others at the cost of our will to socialize.

Crowded Hallways

Emily M., Managing Editor 

I miss the crowded hallways even though they certainly weren’t my favorite. It was one of the things I really took for granted. I would have never expected to be missing the middle school students zooming past my shoulders. Now I’m left wondering if I will ever get to be in that same crowded hallway again.

Personally, I would love for my school to open up by August, especially because it’ll be my senior year of high school. I would love to be able to see my teachers and peers again, and not have to sit in one place all day, however, I do not think it is safe to go back to those crowded hallways if there is no vaccine. It is too dangerous to put so many lives at risk when we could learn from home. 

Although virtual learning is genuinely horrible, it is still a resource available to us. We still have the opportunity to continue learning even if it’s not in a physical classroom. Students just need to take advantage of that.

Safer at Home

Melissa P., Features Editor

School was like a second home to me before the pandemic forced us to switch to online learning.

Waking up early every morning and being one of the last to leave campus to all of the sudden being told we should not leave our homes at all, was not an easy transition. Yet, it was and still is the safest choice. While we may miss the simple act of seeing our friends, our health and the health of our community should be prioritized.

The cases in Maywood alone are rising. Returning to school will only increase the chances of this number going up. Not to mention a vaccine is yet to be released to the public. Sitting together in large groups, sports events, and the learning environment will all be altered if we do return to school. The actions we once overlooked, such as standing in line to receive lunch, will no longer be the same if we return. Instead, a series of cautious measures such as the use of face masks, spaced out tables, and an uncountable amount of hand sanitizers will replace our ¨normal.¨

Instead, we should continue to embrace how online learning has kept us and others safe. Since the beginning of the switch, we have adjusted to the new system that has kept learning active. We have overcome the hurdles of submitting assignments online and engaging in virtual discussions. The best choice is the one we already have- online learning.

Let’s Stay Virtual

Mohamad S., Reporter

Schools opening in the fall should not happen what-so-ever. It is dangerous for many people: those in the class, teachers, and families. It is not at all safe. People wandering around school, even if they are 6 feet apart and wearing masks, is still dangerous.

I personally don’t like wearing masks because they’re uncomfortable; they make you really hot overtime. I also feel like it’s unsafe to return back to school because people are going to be walking throughout our school hallways, which aren’t that wide. This puts people at risk of contracting the virus.

 If kids are allowed to go back to school in August, it might be one of the worst decisions we can make. Someone might contract COVID-19 and give it to their families- this is one thing we do not want happening. Some people have really weak immune systems, which can make this situation extremely dangerous. I would stay home as long as needed to make sure myself and my family stay safe.