Entering the 2021 school year, most East students were eager to get back to their regular daily activities after COVID-19 impacted schedules in so many ways. Although we have returned to a somewhat normal layout, there are still many lingering effects of what COVID-19 did to us—and is still doing to us. 

Homecoming, for example, was fortunately able to take place September 25, albeit it was outside at the stadium as opposed to in the gymnasium like it has been before. A lot of students were glad that it was able to happen, but many did not enjoy the fact that it had to be outside on the field. 

Other school functions that would have normally happened have also been altered due to remaining safety guidelines. Even still, field trips have been affected by the virus’ after-effects; the choir department’s trip to Disney was officially cancelled a couple months ago, and the band department’s tentative international trip plans also went by the wayside. 

Ben Hommowun, a senior choral student, said, “We’ve been told that we would get some kind of trip [in the choir department] for three years now, and yet we still haven’t gotten anything. Last year our Nashville trip was cancelled, so the trip to Disney was going to be what replaced it. Now that one won’t even happen.” 

Furthermore, the X-Ray newspaper team had a competition trip to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in September which was cancelled because many schools could not find a sufficient number of bus drivers. An Earth Science trip was affected similarly as well. 

On a brighter note, daily confirmed COVID-19 cases have been on a declining trend in Kane County since their peak in August—surrounding when many school years started—and continue to look promising. There were 84 daily confirmed cases reported to the Health Department on November 1, a noticeable decrease from the 166 reported on August 26.

Throughout all of these cancellations and alterations, the district and East’s administrators have been working to accommodate students with different options or remedies in lieu of restrictions.

Mrs. Dandre said in a recent statement that we can now “have outside volunteers or guest speakers at after school club meetings”—provided they produce proof of vaccination or a negative test, and wear a masks.

Even though bus driver shortages and indoor spacing requirements are still challenging to handle, more strides are being made to find ways around and through the struggles.

East’s students continue to remain attentive and conscientious of the guidelines that everyone must follow in order to keep moving forward. As the COVID-19 situation continues to change, East administration, staff and students continue to alter and adapt to those changes.