Students have had to adapt to changing learning models

MT. PLEASANT - This last year hasn't been an easy one for education with optional remote learning in the spring, face-to-face learning in the fall, masks, social distancing and the uncertainty many students were feeling with the mental effects of the worldwide pandemic.

However, many students are choosing to see the light in the situation, including Mt. Pleasant Community High School senior Emma Pieper, who believes although this year is different its core aspects remain the same.

'There are definitely some changes to the learning environment, but the learning itself hasn't changed for a lot of students,” Pieper said.

Emma Rugg, a fellow senior, agrees that these changes are new but the core of the school year including sporting activities, music events, learning and more look different but are still similar.

'It's just adjusting to the masks and having people in your class that and not seeing them because they are online, so it's new but still similar,” Rugg said.

With everything looking different students were living in a constant state of uncertainty, not knowing when an inevitable change in instructional models would occur. The uncertainty coupled with unanswered questions and unknowns about the virus made many students change their attitudes.

'It has affected us as students by having to go day by day and having to keep up with the news, and just really hoping for the best because there are so many unanswered questions,” Pieper said.

After having to adjust to masks and a different kind of school year, Rugg admitted that it was the small things like homecoming assemblies that were canceled because of coronavirus concerns, that made high school even better.

'Little things like that make high school better, and it's kind of rough that we didn't get to have those this year,” Rugg said.

Although, Pieper is hopeful that with the discovery and distribution of a vaccine that things might begin to start looking closer to normal.

'Definitely hopeful, I think with the vaccine there is a sign of hope for what's to come in 2021,” Piper said.