Class of 2023 Hoping For ‘Normal’ Next Year

By Adam Albrecht and Jack Fitzpatrick

As the class of 2023 nears the end of their junior year, many students have been wondering if their final year of at Branford High School will be anything close to normal.

The last two years have been utterly destroyed by both Covid and other worldwide events, causing schools to take extra precautions they never would have done before. At the start of last school year, a new rule was enforced where everyone was required to wear masks and that same rule was in effect up until March of this year.

The students of 2023 have some mixed opinions on the subject and some say “it isn’t up to us” and “nothing is normal.” Harith ‘Ty’ Jaruchaiyakul, a junior, is one of those people. “I bet Covid will come back next year to ruin everything.” he said.

There are other students who have a positive outlook on the future of the school:

“It will definitely be normal,” said junior Nic Michaud. “Or at least it should be.” 

“I hope we have a normal senior year,” said junior Carter Burgess.

Teachers expressed their opinions as well: 

“I think it will be a normalish school year. But it is too far away for me to be sure,” said Joel Hinrichs of the social studies department.

“This class will have the most normal year over the last two years. Safety protocols will stay the same even though there may be a few roadblocks. I think overall, the fear factor is gone.” said John Albinger, also from the social studies department. “It’s time to move on. People are sick and tired of all this. A normal school year is exactly what we all need.”

Principal Lee Panagoulias wants people to know that he hopes to have everything stay the same as it was at the end of this year. “We hope to start next year in the same spot we are leaving off in this year. Unfortunately, there are too many variables in play to predict what will happen next year.”

There were also some new rules put in place this year that people in and out of the school have had mixed opinions on. Most recent was the new cell phone policy that states students are not allowed to have their phones during classes. One rule that has been in place longer is the bathroom rule, stating that only one student is allowed out of the classroom to use the bathroom at any given time.

“By next year, the phone rule will either be gone or enforced even more,” said Jaruchaiyakul. ”I don’t see there being any other options.” 

Panagoulias says that these rules are meant to make school safer for everyone.

“All the rules that we have in place at this school are so we can control what goes on in and out of the classrooms,” he said.

There are still so many questions both faculty and students have that either can not or have not been answered. So students for now are left with only their own predictions to prepare for what’s to come.

With the next school year here in the next few months, it is a real toss up, leaving the class of 2023 wondering if they can finally enjoy a full normal year of high school.

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