The COVID-19 pandemic has lasted for more than two years, and many students wonder whether the pandemic has truly ended. Is Strath Haven High School reaching normal from the COVID-19 pandemic? Overall, the school has loosened its restrictions, indicating an approach towards normal.

“Yeah, I would say that we are starting to approach normalcy, like now that there’s not a threshold in school where we have to go back to wearing masks, or we’re having prom and graduation, so a lot of things…feel like they’re getting back to normal, and things aren’t getting canceled as much as they used to,” senior Ali Broome said.

But hesitation continues as the virus consistently infects new people.

“I think, right now, we’re definitely approaching normal, but, I don’t think [that] we’re ever gonna be like normal normal, back to where we were before. I think…we’re always going to be skeptical about viruses and things like that just because of the way that we handled this one,” senior Mason Green said.

Experts stress the importance of students continuing to comply with basic COVID-19 protocols, like wearing masks and getting tested after coming into contact with infected individuals, even with a decrease in coronavirus cases.

From the severity of the pandemic, students recognize they must learn to cope with a “not-a-fully-normal” society. Senior Rowe Crawford explains the lingering pandemic allowed her to show more gratitude for the opportunities that she has had.

“[It is important to] enjoy…things you can do, and don’t take them for granted,” Crawford said.

While students feel tempted to fully return to normal, nobody knows when cases will suddenly spike. Students must accept that restrictions still exist. In the meantime, Broome expresses that she is determined to make the most of each opportunity.

“Don’t wait to do things that you want to do,” she said.