No school’s no good for many teens

Many students used to dread going to school and hoped they didn’t have to go. Now they’re wishing the opposite.

On March 27, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced all schools in New Mexico would remain closed through the rest of the school year. The decision was an attempt to control the spread of the novel coronavirus — and while it was a proactive measure, it has caused a great deal of unease for students who would give just about anything to be in the classroom with their friends right now.

Schools across the state just finished the first week of distance learning. Learning from home, in isolation, hasn’t been easy for anyone. It’s something few, if any, of us have experienced before, and it definitely won’t be easy adjusting to this way of learning for the rest of the semester. I think e-learning will make it very hard for students to learn much at all because we can no longer ask a teacher for to get over the fact that I won’t be able to play baseball this year. This is the case for many athletes who have lost entire seasons for their sports — not only tournaments and races, but also just the sweet and simple camaraderie of daily practices. This must be the hardest for senior athletes who must accept they might never compete again. Lack of sports might also have a big impact on learning, as many students were motivated to do well in school so they could play on their team.

Life isn’t easy for anyone right now, but we have to stay positive and do our part to make sure this situation doesn’t last much longer. We also have to support our fellow students, especially our seniors, so they can finish the year off strong. Let’s be there for one another in these hard times, remembering that no one gets through life alone.