The past few months have been historical to say the least. However, something that has been the head of all news networks is the COVID-19 virus. This particular virus is the root cause for nationwide cancellation of schools, the sudden halt of professional sports, and the spontaneous cancellation of summer plans for all (yes, that means no new episodes of MTV: Spring Break). But something that has come up is the transition to online schooling for kids in grades K-12 throughout the United States.

The primary necessity for online education is the program Zoom. The app Zoom is essentially an academically altered version of FaceTime. It is used for teachers to have conferences with students so they may answer any questions. However some students join in on calls for the slightest hint of human contact, which is understandable. It’s hard to be the class clown however during Zoom meetings, for all calls are recorded for safety purposes. So while the TikToks about online trolls are humorous to say the least, it doesn’t really seem worth it to get expelled from online school or get put into online detention.

As a student, it’s hard to see this new entity from the perspective of a teacher. That is why 10th Grade English Teacher Mrs. Ashley Hoskins offered some words.

“Zoom has really made the transition much easier. It is very simple to use, and is an exceptional tool for students and staff to meet,” said Hoskins.

However, like everything else technology related, there are some faults in this particular program.  Hoskins pointed out her concern.

“Zoom recently did some updates for safety and security and those took care of any concerns I had. As we finish out this last month and change of school, something may come up, but that’s the nature of going ‘into the unknown'” as quoted from Frozen 2.”

Simultaneously during this whole endeavor, the schools haven’t fallen

short in making the students the number one priority.

One particular student is Senior Aaron Geissinger who finds Zoom calls less inviting than the school setting.

“It’s definitely very awkward to sit and try to listen with everything going on.  It’s also kind of difficult to discuss when everyone is in the comfort of their homes. Not having the teacher, paired with higher work load… the connection between teacher and student is almost lost.” said Geissinger.

“Joining Zoom calls is almost a task in itself. It’s very tedious, there are times when I have to click the link several times and go back to Canvas to make sure it sent. It’s just laborious.”

Something to take from all of this is to use your resources in a time of transition and to use what is provided to adapt to changes. The program Zoom isn’t perfect by any means, but what comes into play later on is your ability to adapt based on what life throws at you.   For us, it’s a time to Zoom.