2022 is way better than 2021 and 2020

Has anyone noticed that 2022 seemed more like a normal year? We held inside events where everybody didn’t have to be six feet apart, we came back inside the school, and the mask mandate was lifted.  

Oakland Mills has held plenty of indoor events during 2022, the prom being one that was held this year that unfortunately wasn’t held in 2020. Last school year, seniors and juniors got to have an indoor prom that didn’t require them to stay six feet apart and allowed them to have food available. That is not all though, in March, the spring musical, High School Musical, was performed. So many people attended, and many shows were sold-out. The latest major event that was held inside Oakland Mills High School was the play, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, which also sold-out shows.

In 2020, we did online school which, in turn, had a big impact on students’ routines and sense of normalcy. Senior Tylayah Howell-Bay stated, “usually I was pretty decent/good in school, but during quarantine, I was very unmotivated and it was hard to stay engaged.” Coming back to the building after being quarantined for a year put a strain on many people’s mental health as we all tried to reacclimate. Senior Saige Soskil said, “I needed so badly to be in school interacting with others, and not getting that caused me to backtrack in my mental health recovery. I’m still relearning how to [deal with] school.” Now, in 2022, mental health struggles are more normalized and many are finding different ways to cope. Soskil continued, “In 2022 I have been able to flourish. Life is getting better overall, friendships, relationships, and overall outlook on life are much better than in 2021. Despite many recent events in the media, I will stand by the fact that 2022 has been much better than 2021.” Howell-Bay agrees saying, “I think I’m grateful for 2022 more as it was a significant impact on everyone whether it was positive or negative. It showed us to not take anything for granted, the importance of growth, and how to be adaptable.”