Article by Phoenix writer Angelo Tsassis ’22:
Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the early months of 2020, Kellenberg Memorial was forced to go to remote learning. It’s been a long journey over the past 12 months, but we’re finally back. Each and every student is back in person, and every club, sport, and event is back up and running.
The excitement pulsing through the hallways is palpable. Each student had a different experience in quarantine, but just about everyone had something that they were missing out on. This year, it’s all back. Whether it’s a club you enjoy participating in or a sport you love to play, it’ll happen this year for the first time since before the pandemic.
Some events have already returned. Fall sports, such as football and soccer, are in full swing. Classrooms are filled with students staying after school for their favorite clubs that have returned this year. Kellenberg was even able to hold their first school mass in months.
Mass was an especially great event to have back at Kellenberg, as students and faculty were able to be all together at once in either the gym or the auditorium to celebrate their faith. It’s one of KMHS’ most treasured traditions, and the school as a whole was feeling good about its return.
Senior Michelle Torres summed it up perfectly, saying, “Something I really looked forward to was returning to mass and praying with all my classmates and teachers.”
“We’re happy to be able to take part in a faith event altogether,” added Senior Nick Xhindolli.
Junior Luis Vazquez reminds us of the value of the arts being back in person at Kellenberg. Vazquez says, “It’s been a long time since I was able to be in the same room with the chorus all singing together. Doing virtual and zoom chorus was valuable and a testament to modern technology, but nothing beats singing together in person.”
Sports are also back, which has Kellenberg’s athletes, and fans, brimming with excitement.
“The student section at the ‘White Out’ game last week was incredible. Being together and cheering and watching varsity football win is part of what I was hoping to have back for my senior year at Kellenberg.”
Varsity linebacker Sam Vernot says, “It’s very good to be back with my teammates and to be playing a full season.”
Junior James Agoglia remarked that his favorite part of the school day is also being back out with the team on the football field. However, he also suggests that being in the cafeteria for lunch is something he also missed greatly.
“I forgot how much fun it was just to be with my friends and classmates to eat a meal and have some laughs,” says Agoglia.
As Agoglia points out, one of the main things that have returned this year is simply the wide variety of social interactions that were missing in the 2020-21 school year. Gone are the days of remote classes and isolated cohorts. Students can now change classes and socialize with tons of friends throughout the day, which brings up the overall morale of the school.
According to senior Samantha Collins, even the simple change of classes is a welcome sight of socializing and smiling. The soon-to-be KMHS alumna says, “What excites me about being back at Kellenberg Memorial is having the opportunity to change classes again.” Many students who’ve experienced a normal Kellenberg school year echoed that same sentiment.
Perhaps most of all, things finally feel normal again. Just about everything is the way it used to be. After the difficult challenges we’ve had to deal with and changes we’ve had to make in the past year, normal is the best thing we could ask for.