Panther Prints | Issue 4 | May 2020

20 • Entertainment PESHPRINTS.COM
Words unspoken
Last day wishes from students, teachers
by Riya George
or many, the last day of school before spring break was just anoth-
day — the cafeteria buzzed with its typical Friday excitement
Fer
while students soaked up the spring sunshine. When students and
teachers left school March 6, they didn’t expect the partial shelter in
place that would follow. The school closure left many with unresolved
feelings and words for their peers.
New perspectives
enior Teena James treated Friday with the same importance as
Sshe always had, eager to begin a busy break. Before leaving that
day, James and her friends visited the pond to watch the turtles
come to the surface. Though the day wasn’t special to her then, she
looks back on the encounter as the most memorable part of her last
day and a shifting point for the rest of the year.
“Before this whole thing, I didn’t really care for high school,”
James said. “I just wanted to be in college and move on. [The break]
gave me a whole new perspective about school and how we actually
keep in contact with a limited amount of people.”
Track trio
Running for life
Jill Patel and Lahar Nadig after running the NHS Color Run Feb. 29.
Nadig went to the event with acquaintances and came out with new
friendships. “It was super fun getting to know people I wasn’t with
before,” Nadig said. “These small moments mean so much to me now.”
Jadyn Truong, Marisa Romero and Madison Kho at a track meet March 6. The runners
missed their last in-person classes to go to their meet and spent the entire day with
fellow competitors. “I’m sad it was my last meet because I didn’t get to say goodbye to
the sport I love,” Romero said. “I feel like the experience of having completed the season
got taken away from me because almost every other high school sport got to fully
complete their season. I didn’t realize how big of an impact track had on my life.”
Routine adjustment
he prolonged break from school left students and teach-
longing for the sense of normalcy that a daily pat-
Ters
tern brought. With the abrupt closure, seniors like Varsha
Narayanan feel they missed the opportunity to thank those
around them.
“I wish I could’ve told [my teachers and peers] how
much they meant to me and how much it meant seeing
them every day,” Narayanan said. “Now, I feel like not
seeing them and just being alone every day is really hard.”
Supporting through remote learning
hough pandemic procedures prevent the
Tin-person classes many teachers prefer,
math teacher Kristie Diefenbaker feels remote
learning will strengthen a bond between
students and teachers that may not have
existed before.
“I believe that with the remote learning environment,
students are realizing the importance
of face-to-face interaction and how much easier
it is to understand a lesson when they receive
it in person,” Diefenbaker said. “It’s difficult to
motivate from a distance, but I’m working hard
to find creative ways to do it remotely.”
Spring semesters traditionally mark the point
where teachers transition from academic instructors
to classroom cheerleaders. AP exams,
finals and college decisions are just some milestones
that teachers help with.
“If I had known the Friday before break may
Team bonding
Student senate at a lunch before spring break on March 6. Senate held lunches once a month to
bond and get to know each other outside of a school environment. “Knowing that this was probably
the last time I would get to spend time with my Senate friends is so sad because I don’t think I’ve
ever been a part of a group that’s more ambitious, fun-loving and compassionate than these people,”
senior Manasi Gummaraju said. “I cherish the moments that we had, like our team lunches.”
have been the last day I get to see my students, I would have definitely shared more words of wisdom and well wishes,” Diefenbaker
said. “To all my students, you are bright shining stars and I can’t wait to see the direction the future will take you.”