We live in a strange time.

If you told me two years ago that we’d be finishing Grade 9 without
setting foot on campus then I would have told you that you were crazy. If you told me that we
couldn’t go outside without covering our faces I would have laughed. If you told me that hugging my
friends suddenly became illegal I would have probably disowned you as a friend, no offense though.
If you told me a year ago we’d be living through a global pandemic, I wouldn’t have believed you.
Yet here we are.
The pandemic has been difficult for everyone, but it’s been particularly hard for us students. It’s
been a year since we relied on the unreliable data service providers for our education. It’s been a
year since we’ve been using our computers for our daily lessons which sometimes don’t work as
smoothly as we want it to. It’s been a year since we’ve been cooped up in our study areas for most
of our day. It’s been a year since we last dined out with our family and friends, went to the arcade or
park or really, went out anywhere. It’s been a year since we’ve been so bored and so busy at the
same time that I didn’t know was even possible.
Yet here we are.
We live in a strange time, indeed. But for a year we’ve been able to do groupwork without
physically seeing each other. For a year we’ve done science experiments in our kitchen. For a year
we’ve been able to do PE by ourselves in our backyard. For a year we’ve done things we didn’t
know we were capable of, and that’s something we should be proud of.
We live in a strange time. But we are strong, and we are resilient. If for a year we’ve done the
impossible, for years to come, we can do anything.