Coming back to school from a year of distance learning, it has been a few weeks of trying to remember the layout of Roosevelt, getting used to the school lunch, and trying to figure out what teachers, friends, and other students are saying through their masks. While students are still getting used to their new normal, one of the biggest adjustments has been around student clubs and extracurricular activities. In previous school years, pre-COVID, students were able to meet after school, enjoy various activities, and discuss their interests outside of academic work. Students could create friendships and find joy in having a space to talk about their hobbies and shared beliefs. 

With 55 clubs on the ERHS website, Roosevelt takes pride in their student organizations. However, with COVID safety precautions, students have not been able to meet after school and club activities have been limited. Most clubs have adapted to meeting on Zoom; sometimes this affects the quality of interactions of members. Senior Stephanie Boyd, a member of Music Honor Society, shared that “it’s much harder to talk about the music, especially if you want to play.” These types of auditory-focused experiences are more productive when they are done in person and instructors are able to teach the students which notes to play.  

In spite of these challenges, some students pushed through and created new clubs in the previous year. Maranna Nwozo, now a sophomore, started the Let’s Connect club her freshman year as a way to build connections for freshmen who would not have had that opportunity because of distance learning. 

Senior Sophie Bose began the UNICEF club her junior year as a way of giving back to communities in need, a very important cause during the pandemic. She has continued UNICEF as a senior but recognized that “it would be inappropriate to ask for money (fundraise) during a pandemic.” However, members were able to host “multiple toy, book, and houseware drives [to] give back to the community without directly asking for money.” Bose also explained that the club leaders made the decision to hold meetings less frequently to avoid Zoom fatigue. 

Some students have mixed reactions to these different changes and how they affect a very important aspect of their high school experience — clubs and activities. Although students feel frustrated about some of the inconveniences that these changes have created, they understand why some of these safety measures were put in place. In some cases, students have embraced these changes by creating new opportunities such as forming new clubs. Some club leaders have made adjustments to their club meetings such as changing start times or changing the frequency of the meetings and activities. 

In general, there is a feeling that although students cannot change their current situation, they can make lemonade out of the lemons the pandemic has given them.