The total mayhem that erupted on that fateful March 13 day will never be forgotten. Now that a new school year has begun, the overarching question of whether or not we will go back to school looms ominously over students’ heads. What awaits us after the first nine weeks online is unknown, questioned by administrators and students alike. Even if North Atlanta does go back to school, is it guaranteed that the school would stay open for long?

According to the CDC, the number of COVID-19 cases in Georgia is among the worst in the country, which means that the chances of going back to school after the first nine weeks are slim. Even with the prospect of wearing masks to avoid spreading the illness, there are just too many students walking the school’s halls to resume classes easily. Sophomore Yenni Hugh is a party to the group who doesn’t think that students will go back to school after the first nine weeks. “The pandemic is still at large in our state, and if we even attempt to try to go back to school, we could put our lives at stake,”  she said.

Some students share the same position as Hugh. They assume that because of the increase in Georgia cases, the likelihood of going back to school isn’t particularly high, in part because of the risks involved. One of these students is sophomore Trey Fox. He acknowledges that it wouldn’t be possible to force a huge group of rebellious teenagers to wear masks, no matter how badly he wants to get back into the classroom. “Honestly, I don’t enjoy Zoom as much as in person,” he said. “I want to go back to regular school even though I know it poses much more of a risk.” 

Although Georgia’s coronavirus cases are getting worse, some people are ever hopeful that we will make a return to in-person learning. Senior Lily Jones wishes for the chance to go back to regular school to enjoy the rest of her senior year. “I think we’ll go back to school in the second semester because other schools are going back before then,” she said.

As lessons on Zoom continue, the anxiety caused by the prospect of not going to school has started to weigh on student’s minds. It seems as if students are experiencing a sort of Zoom fatigue that is not present during regular school times. But for now, students can only hope that, as the seasons change, they are back in the regular building, focused on pressing exams and getting to class on time rather than internet connections and webcams.