by Joie Liu
Opinion
November 23, 2020
Throughout these unprecedented times, schools are in upheaval as new measures are being put into place, and students are forced to adapt to novel rules and restrictions that are in stark contrast to academic life pre-pandemic. A greater sense of normalcy is sorely needed, and having school breaks continue to follow a traditional schedule would contribute to such a sense. At and beyond BUA, a multitude of new rules have been implemented that while necessary, make school life so different and more difficult than previous years. Around the globe, teenagers are trying to do what they can in order to seek a new form of “normal,” to get back into a routine. According to the New York Times, many teenagers are experiencing heightened levels of stress and anxiety, brought on by less social time with friends and the additional stress of the pandemic. Anything that can seem like a routine, even something as small as breaks occurring during the same times as normal, can bring a sense of stability that is greatly needed. As CNN put it, teenagers are “worry[ing] about an uncertain future.” And that’s not to mention an uncertain present — the coronavirus continues to upturn day-to-day life, and the definition of “normal” is always changing. Although school breaks may seem to be a small matter, they provide a set time to relax and carry with them a feeling of normalcy, as events that students could always count on to occur at the same times year after year.
Although we are not in “normal” times, part of the role of a school is to provide consistency for its students. Despite being a small change, moving breaks that are embedded into the routine of a school year would disrupt the mindsets of many students, creating yet another new development to adapt to in the already ever-changing conditions of this time. BUA should do what it can to maintain a sense of stability by continuing to hold school breaks, in particular spring break, at the normal times.
Andrew, Scottie. “Why Teens May Never Be the Same after the Pandemic.” CNN, April 16, 2020,
www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/us/teens-coronavirus-coping-wellness-trnd/index.html.
Goldberg, Emma. “Teens in Covid Isolation: ‘I Felt Like I Was Suffocating.” The New York Times, November 12, 2020.
www.nytimes.com/2020/11/12/health/covid-teenagers-mental-health.html.
The Scarlet Letter 