So far, the second quarter of school has presented the Flint Hill Community with many changes. The school welcomed new students who started attending in person this quarter, began thinking about winter athletics, and unfortunately witnessed our first set of COVID cases within the school. Upon receiving the news, students, parents, and teachers alike faced several emotions such as fear, worry, empathy, and concern. Throughout the first quarter, there were no reported cases of COVID-19 in the Flint Hill community, leaving us all with a deep feeling of safety and security. However, as we have all seen throughout the past six months, nothing about the virus is predictable. 

Receiving the first report of a COVID case in the school mirrored the reaction to the first news of COVID in the US nine months ago. There seemed to be resounding panic within the student body, people desperately reaching out to each other and trying to comprehend the event. It seems surreal even now, almost nine months into the pandemic, that the elusive virus had breached the walls of Flint Hill. Not only is the virus unpredictable, but the way it spreads is still much of a mystery, and even being deemed safe in the “Green Group” brings worry about the wellbeing of friends, siblings, and the greater Flint Hill community. 

The reaction of the Flint Hill community to one COVID case serves as a model of the pandemic in the world at large. We saw how easy it was for panic to rise, dismantling the feeling of safety due to how uncontrollable the virus truly is. Despite Flint Hill’s best efforts to create a safe environment with temperature checks, masks, and sanitation practices, COVID seemed to slip in between the cracks. 

Another unsettling metaphor between Flint Hill and the global community is the seeming resistance to the Trace App which is used to help Flint Hill ensure students’ and teachers’ safety alike. Many of us have seen the struggle between students and their advisors, arguing about the app’s usage. Some refuse to download or activate the app, despite the mandate implemented by administration. It creates an uneasy parallel with the continuous debates on mask usage in the country, where different groups of people argue over masks’ effectiveness and practicality. Within our school’s small community, we can finally comprehend how the virus can create insecurity and division in our country and worldwide. 

We, as Huskies, are going through a unique and challenging time in our lives. However, the most important thing we can do for each other is to support all members of the Flint Hill Community. Now is the time to check in on your peers, fellow students, and teachers. We must work together to create an environment at Flint Hill that is both supportive and uplifting, as well as safe. At the end of the day, we are all in this together. If we unite as a community, we can overcome the challenges the virus has presented us with and continue to make this school year successful.