Already one year into their high school career, several sophomores will step foot on campus for the first time this Thursday. 

As COVID-19 remained a prevalent concern throughout the 2020-2021 school year, the class of 2024 had anything but a normal freshmen experience, with many remaining in a virtual learning environment the entire year. 

With the virtual academy no longer an option, many sophomore students enter this year with various expectations. 

“It honestly still feels like I’m still a freshman,” sophomore Maya Silberman said. “It’s weird to be in my second year of high school when I’ve only been on campus [for testing].”

A main concern for Silberman is the absence of mask requirements for all students.

“I think it would be safer to have masks be mandated, especially since this is the first time in a year since the school will be at full capacity and not all students are vaccinated,” she said.

However, classmate Nicole Johnson worries more over being unfamiliar with the school. 

“When it comes to COVID-19 guidelines,” Johnson said, “I think that whatever they decide for the mask mandate, I am choosing to wear a mask. I understand that some other people will not wear masks and that is fine with me, but I feel we should still take the guidelines seriously. I do feel a little nervous going into sophomore year mostly because I haven’t really been around campus and I wasn’t able to meet a lot of people, so I won’t know many in my classes. [Still] I am excited to be able to go back in person and interact with people face to face.”

Sophomore Saanvi Bhasin remains optimistic for this school year, and is readily anticipating her return to extracurriculars and electives. 

“I feel excited to see what we are going to sing in high school choir and to meet new people,” she said. “Now that I’m vaccinated, I feel safer enough to go back to school.”