Since the start of the new school year, there have been many changes along the lines of how we run things, especially due to the decreased cases of COVID-19. Students and staff are slowly going back to what we used to call normal, while still keeping themselves and everyone around them safe.

“COVID has definitely been a huge change to adapt to,” freshman Kacey Carter said. “Not as much this year, but last year being required to wear a mask, stay six feet apart, virtual work, and everything in between.”

This past year has been filled with lots of ups and downs due to the pandemic. It changed the way people see the world around them. Some students were learning online from home with the virtual academy, while others were in-person wearing masks and staying six feet apart. 

“There is definitely a big difference in the number of students than last year which ended up surprising me a lot,” sophomore Leia Machado said.

The number of students attending in-person school has increased drastically from last year. This ends up making the halls, classrooms, and lunchroom even more full than last year. Not only that, but masks are now not mandatory, letting students choose their best options. 

“I think that wearing your mask is very important,” junior Snehaa Mutiah. “Especially with the Delta variant, it’s just good for yourself and others.” 

Since the mask policy has become optional, the classroom environment is now filled with a mixture of mask and mask-less people. Overall, this ends up giving responsibility to each individual and what they end up doing in the end. 

“It depends on what aspect of mega lunch we are talking about,” freshman Michelle Lett said. ¨The hour can give us time to be productive, but the cons, like the large lunchline, can be overwhelming.”

Mega lunch is what LTHS calls an hour-long lunch, letting students have the freedom to manage what they do in that window of time. Some students use the time to eat their lunch, while others study or go to tutorials, making the possibilities endless. Most students who were in person last year were assigned separate lunch periods, making mega lunch a novelty for many people. 

LTHS is now in its sixth week and the total number of COVID cases overall has been 25 people, this consists of 22 students and three teachers.