Staying apart at school 'rough,' teenagers say

Pine Bluff High School junior Zora Little heads to basketball practice after school. She says athletics provides a sense of normalcy during the pandemic. 
(Pine Bluff Commercial/Eplunus Colvin)
Pine Bluff High School junior Zora Little heads to basketball practice after school. She says athletics provides a sense of normalcy during the pandemic. (Pine Bluff Commercial/Eplunus Colvin)

The Arkansas Education Department told school districts in August that they must stay open five days a week and offer "relevant and engaging onsite learning opportunities" all week, but on-site learners at Pine Bluff High School said the coronavirus has put a damper on their student experience.

Homecoming, football games, talking with friends before class, walking with friends in the halls and eating lunch with schoolmates are now just fond memories for juniors Zora Little and Tceana Jeffery.

Reminiscing on their earlier high school years, both feel the start of this school year is disappointing.

"It's rough and needs some getting used to," said Little. "My whole thing is if we are going to be on the computer all day, I could've just stayed at home."

Social interaction has now become social distancing as the 6-feet-apart rule has been implemented in all areas of the building. Yearning for a sense of normalcy, Jeffery said that even if they were allowed to switch classes to at least see one another, that would help.

"I feel like if we are going to come to school, we can at least do some normal things," said Little. "They are making us use sanitizer anyway. We might as well sanitize the desks before we leave and just move on to the next class."

While understanding the risk and the severity of the virus, both teens feel athletics is the coping mechanism to get them through their new normal.

"Nobody changes classes. Not even the teachers," said Little. "The only time we do change is when we come to athletics. That's the part I look forward to the most."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that students and teachers who engage in in-person-only learning, activities and events, and students who mix between classes are at high risk to contract the virus.

Covid-19 data provided by school district Superintendent Barbara Warren showed that four staff members and one student in the district have tested positive.

Sixteen staff members and three students were exposed and are currently quarantined, according to Warren's report.

Warren said those who had contact and are in quarantine have no symptoms.

A close contact defined by the CDC as being within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from two days before the illness started.

"You have a lot of people that say, hey I was in the room," said Warren. "With Pine Bluff, the numbers are a little higher."

Numbers aren't always as they seem, as Warren explained, saying that when comparing her numbers to other districts in the area, the others are lower because of the lower number of people on campus.

Several of the quarantined teachers are still connecting with their on-site classrooms using platforms like Google Classroom and Google Meet, and while the students appreciate their effort, they are ready to be in a full social setting again.

"We are not able to socialize and be close to our friends, especially at lunch," said Little.

"We really can't see each other but we are making the best out of it."

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