Throughout this entire school year, fellow Falcons have enjoyed attending shows and sports events after missing out on these things last year. But many fear that these activities will be taken away again, based on the recent spike in Covid cases and the school’s actions in response. This past week, boys varsity basketball had two games, against Old Mill and Southern, postponed due to Covid outbreaks, while girls varsity and JV and boys JV had their game on Wednesday against Southern postponed. Additionally, the boys holiday tournament was cancelled. Basketball is not the only sport affected, indoor track cancelled practice until Dec. 27, where they will then reevaluate. This decision seems small, but many worry that this break may be extended.

“I’m disappointed that Covid has interfered with our season again, but on the bright side it gives us a little extra time with our families during the holidays,” junior Sophia Miller said. “The team works very hard and will definitely continue that over this little break so we are ready to go when we come back.”

Leading up to the holiday break, an increasing number of students have been exposed to, or have tested positive for, Covid-19, and this creates concern. Around school, rumors and discussions about virtual learning have been sparked. While some believe that SPHS will never return to online school, others think that we could see that outcome right after winter break. Students have varying opinions about returning to online school. There are those like junior Nick Whitacre who are not against the idea of switching back to virtual learning.

“There are definitely some aspects of online school that I enjoy,” Whitacre said. “I liked having Wednesdays off last year, and it was nice to have a flexible schedule, being able to take advantage of longer breaks for lunch and between classes. And with cases on the rise, staying home can also help keep students safe.”

On the other hand, many Falcons are completely against the idea of attending school virtually. “I don’t want to go online again because I feel like we’ve already missed out on so much of our high school experience,” junior Kara Hartley said. “I love getting to see friends at school everyday and it’s much harder to make those connections with people through a screen. It also feels like I don’t learn nearly as much in online classes compared to learning in person.”

As of now, there are no major long-term changes to Severna Park’s normal learning and activities, but there are various feelings about that possibility.