For all the seniors out there, we are deep into the last few weeks of high school. We certainly had an interesting and memorable 4 years at Hall High School; there were many highs and lows, but we all got through it. Now, we get to hear how some seniors reflect on their last 4 years of high school. 

1. In one word, describe your reflection of covid during high school.

“An experience.” – Pranav Binoj ‘22

“One word: unique.” – Samuel Foxman ‘22

“Amnesia.” – Desmond Leitz ‘22

“Infectious.” – Ethan Harris ‘22

“Life-changing.” – Rebecca Solomon ‘22

“Unmemorable.” – Jenny Brown ‘22

1. What are your biggest takeaways from surviving high school through covid?

“You can cheat your way through school, but you can’t cheat your way to knowledge.” – Pranav Binoj ‘22

“I learned how to teach myself anything by looking it up online. I remember some days during online school Google Meets, where I would learn a ton–just not related to school. I remember learning about exoplanets, Hydrogen bombs, Supreme Court cases, polymers, etc.” – Samuel Foxman ‘22

“Don’t take ordinary things for granted.” – Desmond Leitz ‘22

“It was really difficult to pay attention with all of the distractions at home. Additionally, the lesson plans created by the teachers weren’t always engaging.” – Ethan Harris ‘22

“My biggest takeaway from covid is that we all need to stop taking small things for granted.” – Rebecca Solomon ‘22

“Be social! Go outside, go on walks, and listen to a lot of music. If you can, have random dance sessions to hype music once a week. Also, try sacrificing two souls to the gods of misery so that you can have motivation to teach yourself Honors Algebra II on Khan Academy” – Jenny Brown ‘22

1. What is the biggest impact that covid has had on you during high school?

“It got me more active and out of the house. I started playing tennis, biking, going to the gym, and it eventually led to me joining cross country and swimming. ” – Pranav Binoj ‘22

“I didn’t get to spend as much time with my friends as I would have liked.” – Samuel Foxman ‘22

“Being isolated from friends and loneliness.” – Desmond Leitz ‘22

“Due to the masks covering half of the faces of our peers, meeting new people became rather challenging. We didn’t know each other’s faces and hanging out outside of school was rare.” – Ethan Harris ‘22

“It really made me grateful for school in person. When we first found out we had class on Google Meets, I was so excited, but it quickly got old. I was so ready and excited to see my friends again in person and not on Facetime. ” – Rebecca Solomon ‘22

“It stole a long time from everyone and has fundamentally changed all people. I’m not the same person I was before, but I’m definitely more aware of who I am now.” – Jenny Brown ‘22

1. Favorite memory of high school during covid?

“Too tough to choose; just the extra time we got during the days let me enjoy myself more and spend time with my friends I’d usually not get a chance to.” – Pranav Binoj ‘22

“I led Programming Club (happening online through Google Meets) where we all created our own Minecraft hacks and played together. One day, I made a race course where you had to use your hacks to get through it, and everyone had fun racing each other with the hacks they programmed.” – Samuel Foxman ‘22

“Going to Bishop’s Corner during the long block schedule periods at the end of junior year after AP exams.” – Desmond Leitz ‘22

“During virtual gym class, we had to exercise inside our houses. It was quite difficult and led to minimal effort at the gym. My family found it quite funny how easy it was and how ridiculous I looked while in class.” – Ethan Harris ‘22

“Coming back to school for the first time in fall 2020 and seeing everyone again. ” – Rebecca Solomon ‘22

“Spending many nights in Discord with friends, and finding motivation to review before every AP Chem test, talking about nonsense and filling up a quotes channel with hilarious things that people said. Another favorite memory was when my friend and I left Elizabeth Park and just wandered for hours. I never was someone who liked walks before covid, but now that’s just the go-to when I have social plans. I appreciate nice weather so much more now.  Back to that one day, we stumbled across a house in Hartford with a giant T-rex, a huge tin man, and a bunch of sculptures in its lawn. It was all beyond this large, elegant gate and it made us feel like we were sucked into some kind of young-adult novel.” – Jenny Brown ‘22