For this issue, we asked our writers to highlight some of our Makos’ opinions about returning back to school or staying online.

By Jorden Demerritte
Staff Writer

Amidst the cloud of mixed directions that the district and state are choosing to take, the individual opinions between grade levels of whether they are and want to return to school are equally up in the air. 

Senior year, especially, is one that invokes strongly held sentimental attachments. It represents the closing of a chapter. It shows how far one has come over the span of the four years as the impact that people such as, parents, teachers, and friends comes to fruition. It also represents looking onto the new horizons of adulting and all the responsibilities placed on one’s shoulder.

The state of Florida, at the moment, has divided students into two groups:  those who choose to go back to school and those who choose to have online classrooms. 

A current senior, Mackenzie Soltis, is on the side whose parents decided to return to school for the second phase.

Their reason anchored itself in their preference towards in-face teaching, rather than allowing their daughter to stay at home and be stuck. Soltis preferred not to go back full time, as she believes there is a risk of returning to school.

“Right now, I do not want to go back to school because I know people are still being risky with the health of others, and someone could contract it [Covid-19] if we go back,” Soltis said.

Additionally, Soltis lives over an hour from school and cannot justify making the long drive just to learn “online” within school walls.

With the prospect of vaccines on the horizon, there is the probability of attaining“normalcy.” To this, Soltis responded that when it is ready to be given district-wide, she “would love to go back safely, but until we know, I’d rather stay home.” Soltis wishes for the vaccines to become “available to everyone in need… so we do not have to worry too much about contracting the virus as easily or at all.” 

The reality of the situation has dimmed the hope for a “normal” and enriching senior year. As a senior, the possibility of missing out on events that hone in on the high school experience and the final times with many of one’s closest friends is at risk. So frustrations among seniors have risen. 

“It’s stressful,” Soltis says. “ I wanted my senior year to be like the rest with all the fun activities and going to hang out with friends every weekend, and now I’m stuck inside doing college applications almost every day and FaceTiming friends almost every other week to catch up.”

“I want to have my senior year, but I also want everyone to be safe, and that means not going back or not doing what normal seniors do, then I’d prefer to stay home where it’s safe and just wait it out a little longer,” Soltis said.