Feature: Connection in 2020
Connection in 2020
Ruby Sigmund, Incoming Co-Editor in Chief
Published June 17, 2020
Over 115000 deaths in the U.S. due to COVID-19. Murder hornets killing off the bee population in droves. Black people being killed in the streets. Tragedy has defined the 2020 experience so far—tragedies that have separated us both physically and ideologically. However, the students, teachers and families of the Columbia High School (CHS) community are using their shared quarantine experience and passion for current, polarizing issues to maintain social connection. In this case, our community’s general homogeneity of political belief has allowed us to accept and shape our new normal.
When considering how routines and relationships have changed in the past few months, some may attest to a sense of greater connection with their families while quarantined together. Courtney Plaza, ‘22, said, “Being stuck in a house with the same few people for two months has its ups and downs, but ultimately, it’s led to a level of connection and understanding among my family members that we never had before.” Technology has allowed for closer relationships to extended family members as well. Damon Webber, a CHS parent, said, “I am more connected with my sister than in the past. We talk or FaceTime at least twice a week—before the pandemic it was once a month.”
Interactions with strangers now contain a sense of solidarity in the form of a nod, wave or smile, even through a mask. These subtle gestures may feel paradoxical to purposeful physical distance, but quarantine measures have only increased the meaning of these small acts of acknowledgment. “In my neighborhood, more people are waving and talking to each other from their porches when people walk by, trying to stay connected as a community,” Zoe McCray, ‘23, noted. “A smile, a frown, a grimace, a shrug or a goofy look often say much more than words,” said Jon Campbell, a CHS History teacher.
Relationships with friends and significant others, especially as adolescents, are very different in the context of COVID-19. Students rely on school and school-related activities to establish and grow relationships with peers. Because these activities are now online or cancelled, interactions are mostly virtual, which removes the crucial factor of face-to-face communication. “I’m mainly staying in touch with my friends by FaceTiming or sometimes going to see people, but staying socially distanced. These interactions don't really feel ‘human’ compared to if I was having a conversation with someone in person,” Ava Vroman, ‘23, commented. Vroman’s sentiment was echoed by Graff, who said, “When I do see my friends, it's hard because I feel so distant from them, both physically and relationship-wise. So, though I am occasionally seeing people, it doesn’t feel real like it used to.”
However, some students are viewing the virtual interaction in a more positive light. “I think [my boyfriend and I] are a lot closer now than we would’ve been, or at least we got closer faster, because we’ve had more time to talk,” Olivia Brash, ‘21, noted. Similarly, Mariko Goetz, ‘21, said “I think I may actually be more connected with my friends and neighbors now than I was before.”
For teachers, interaction with students has completely changed due to CHS’s temporary shift to online schooling. Campbell noted, “Not being in class and hallways eliminates the chance to make connections on a personal level. I miss that, and know that many of my students feel the same.” Johnson agreed and said, “I am really missing the full classroom dynamic. The connectedness of discussions, processing world events together and the little conversations that happen in the margins of the day.” However, both are trying to continue the student-teacher dynamics that occurred pre-COVID-19. Campbell stated, “[I am] continuing the banter and individualized exchanges we had in class through emails when giving assignments and commenting on their submissions and questions,” while Johnson has used the work she did before quarantine was mandated to compensate for the inability to physically interact with her students: “I haven’t figured out how to recreate [the classroom dynamic], but I am so grateful that we took the time to build relationships before the closures.”
From the perspectives of the students, teachers at CHS are trying their best to connect and share information, though some may be struggling. “Some [teachers] are making a huge effort to still connect with us and I really appreciate that, and some are just posting work and not answering questions from students,” said McCray. “My connection with teachers has weakened, because you can’t FaceTime a teacher, but some... have been reaching out to students to make sure [we] are doing well and to help with anything they can,” said Dax Webber, ‘22. Students want to work with educators to make the virtual education system smoother, and are thankful they are keeping in touch.
While the CHS community continues to push through during these difficult times, many look to authority figures for more information. Promisingly, CHS administration has received mostly positive feedback during this pandemic. “The administration is still staying connected with teachers, students and parents. We receive a lot of emails and updates about our situation,” said Sophie Gigante, ‘21. Brash agreed: “The administration has done a pretty good job at staying connected,” though also stated, “I would like to see some kind of interactive forum rather than just emails.” From Campbell’s perspective as a teacher, “the complexity of sorting out so many unanticipated issues in a way that serves every one of our unique and often unknowable needs has made that extremely difficult for the administration.” However, Campbell also noted that CHS as a whole has naturally become more collectivist during this time, prioritizing the needs of the community rather than individuals with status. “It does appear that whenever a particular teacher or student has an identified concern, the administrators have been quick to respond in a decisive and effective manner,” he said.
Students can see behind the mask of their parents, teachers, the administration and strangers because of the shared experiences and emotions in response to current events. “The news gets repetitive and is quite sad,” said Graff, showcasing the overstimulation and paralyzation many feel in quarantine. The media’s dependency on American reactions means that news outlets and social media posts showcase escalations: people refusing to wear masks, cops beating and tear gassing citizens, peaceful protests for justice turning into riots. Though the American culture of “us vs them” is pervasive, especially in this time of strife, the community refuses to be silent; rather, it is resilient. “I think fighting against one common issue has allowed us to connect in a way we previously couldn’t,” said Plaza.
The way that MAPSO has continued to support and connect to one another during this time is a true, human reaction to tragedy. Vivienne Clarke, ‘21, summed up the community’s response to current events: “Even in the current climate, human connection remains necessary and important as a tool to ground and support each other while there is a lot of stress and uncertainty.”
Designer: D. Gutierrez
When considering how routines and relationships have changed in the past few months, some may attest to a sense of greater connection with their families while quarantined together. Courtney Plaza, ‘22, said, “Being stuck in a house with the same few people for two months has its ups and downs, but ultimately, it’s led to a level of connection and understanding among my family members that we never had before.” Technology has allowed for closer relationships to extended family members as well. Damon Webber, a CHS parent, said, “I am more connected with my sister than in the past. We talk or FaceTime at least twice a week—before the pandemic it was once a month.”
Interactions with strangers now contain a sense of solidarity in the form of a nod, wave or smile, even through a mask. These subtle gestures may feel paradoxical to purposeful physical distance, but quarantine measures have only increased the meaning of these small acts of acknowledgment. “In my neighborhood, more people are waving and talking to each other from their porches when people walk by, trying to stay connected as a community,” Zoe McCray, ‘23, noted. “A smile, a frown, a grimace, a shrug or a goofy look often say much more than words,” said Jon Campbell, a CHS History teacher.
“It does appear that whenever a particular teacher or student has an identified concern, the administrators have been quick to respond in a decisive and effective manner,”Overall, sincerity has increased within the Maplewood-South Orange (MAPSO) community. “I see a lot of signs in windows, on lawns and drawn in chalk on the sidewalks and driveways. They choke me up every time,” said Beth Johnson, a CHS English teacher. “There’s so many cute posters of encouragement and gratitude to essential workers. It’s nice to see the positivity in a time where it feels scarce,” Lyra Graff, ‘22, said.
Relationships with friends and significant others, especially as adolescents, are very different in the context of COVID-19. Students rely on school and school-related activities to establish and grow relationships with peers. Because these activities are now online or cancelled, interactions are mostly virtual, which removes the crucial factor of face-to-face communication. “I’m mainly staying in touch with my friends by FaceTiming or sometimes going to see people, but staying socially distanced. These interactions don't really feel ‘human’ compared to if I was having a conversation with someone in person,” Ava Vroman, ‘23, commented. Vroman’s sentiment was echoed by Graff, who said, “When I do see my friends, it's hard because I feel so distant from them, both physically and relationship-wise. So, though I am occasionally seeing people, it doesn’t feel real like it used to.”
However, some students are viewing the virtual interaction in a more positive light. “I think [my boyfriend and I] are a lot closer now than we would’ve been, or at least we got closer faster, because we’ve had more time to talk,” Olivia Brash, ‘21, noted. Similarly, Mariko Goetz, ‘21, said “I think I may actually be more connected with my friends and neighbors now than I was before.”
For teachers, interaction with students has completely changed due to CHS’s temporary shift to online schooling. Campbell noted, “Not being in class and hallways eliminates the chance to make connections on a personal level. I miss that, and know that many of my students feel the same.” Johnson agreed and said, “I am really missing the full classroom dynamic. The connectedness of discussions, processing world events together and the little conversations that happen in the margins of the day.” However, both are trying to continue the student-teacher dynamics that occurred pre-COVID-19. Campbell stated, “[I am] continuing the banter and individualized exchanges we had in class through emails when giving assignments and commenting on their submissions and questions,” while Johnson has used the work she did before quarantine was mandated to compensate for the inability to physically interact with her students: “I haven’t figured out how to recreate [the classroom dynamic], but I am so grateful that we took the time to build relationships before the closures.”
From the perspectives of the students, teachers at CHS are trying their best to connect and share information, though some may be struggling. “Some [teachers] are making a huge effort to still connect with us and I really appreciate that, and some are just posting work and not answering questions from students,” said McCray. “My connection with teachers has weakened, because you can’t FaceTime a teacher, but some... have been reaching out to students to make sure [we] are doing well and to help with anything they can,” said Dax Webber, ‘22. Students want to work with educators to make the virtual education system smoother, and are thankful they are keeping in touch.
While the CHS community continues to push through during these difficult times, many look to authority figures for more information. Promisingly, CHS administration has received mostly positive feedback during this pandemic. “The administration is still staying connected with teachers, students and parents. We receive a lot of emails and updates about our situation,” said Sophie Gigante, ‘21. Brash agreed: “The administration has done a pretty good job at staying connected,” though also stated, “I would like to see some kind of interactive forum rather than just emails.” From Campbell’s perspective as a teacher, “the complexity of sorting out so many unanticipated issues in a way that serves every one of our unique and often unknowable needs has made that extremely difficult for the administration.” However, Campbell also noted that CHS as a whole has naturally become more collectivist during this time, prioritizing the needs of the community rather than individuals with status. “It does appear that whenever a particular teacher or student has an identified concern, the administrators have been quick to respond in a decisive and effective manner,” he said.
“I think fighting against one common issue has allowed us to connect in a way we previously couldn’t,”
Students can see behind the mask of their parents, teachers, the administration and strangers because of the shared experiences and emotions in response to current events. “The news gets repetitive and is quite sad,” said Graff, showcasing the overstimulation and paralyzation many feel in quarantine. The media’s dependency on American reactions means that news outlets and social media posts showcase escalations: people refusing to wear masks, cops beating and tear gassing citizens, peaceful protests for justice turning into riots. Though the American culture of “us vs them” is pervasive, especially in this time of strife, the community refuses to be silent; rather, it is resilient. “I think fighting against one common issue has allowed us to connect in a way we previously couldn’t,” said Plaza.
The way that MAPSO has continued to support and connect to one another during this time is a true, human reaction to tragedy. Vivienne Clarke, ‘21, summed up the community’s response to current events: “Even in the current climate, human connection remains necessary and important as a tool to ground and support each other while there is a lot of stress and uncertainty.”
Designer: D. Gutierrez
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