LAX TO THE MAX

By Margaret Mowrer Design By Sasha Goodlow

Acotton candy sky dims as the sunset dips behind the opposing team’s bleachers. The last sliver of light casts a golden glow on the anticipated faces of the fully packed student section. Students stand, and time stops as they watch the catch that could earn the Bull Dogs another win. The player grasps the ball mid-air, gaining possession with just enough time to jump over the end zone line. Cheers erupt from the bleachers..

Standing there, you blink, trying to savor the moment. One Blink. Two Blinks, but when you open your eyes you are hit by reality.

Quietness strikes you first, this due to the limited amount of students who were lucky enough to get a hold of a ticket. Players stand staggered in an arranged chevron design in order to stay a safe distance. The cheerleaders reach for masks just so they are able to start their stunt. Friday Night Lights doesn’t cast the same shine as they did before.

High school football plays a significant role in entertainment for many individuals during the fall season.

Due to some restrictions of COVID-19, ISHAA has enforced that the number of fans allowed is limited to two hundred and fifty for each side of a stadium. The majority are parents of the athletes, leaving few tickets left for students.

Sophomore Leah Hartwell is one student who is fortunate enough to receive the chance to attend games because her sibling, Senior Lauren Hartwell, is involved in cheerleading and can get first-access to tickets. Leah Hartwell enjoys attending the games, but has noticed a difference in the atmosphere.

“In the past, you have had a lot of fans, and so it was exciting to see them all cheering. Now it’s mostly parents,” Leah

Hartwell said. “It’s not as upbeat as it used to be because you hear students yelling and you still hear parents getting excited, but [it is] just not as fast-paced as it usually is.”

Junior Bryant Trinkle, during last year’s season, was an active participant in the student section for most football games. He views this new shift overall as very disheartening for students who are not able to attend.

“Last year, every time we had a home game, everybody knew what they were going to do. They were going to go to the game, and [they] always had something to do afterward. For me and my friends that was set every week,” Trinkle said.“Now that is taken away, and I don’t know how that is for other people, but for my friends, [it’s] a big deal.”

In order to allow viewing opportunities, BCSC and the athletic department have organized live streams to broadcast some of the games.

“I feel like it has changed for everyone, [as] everyone doesn’t get to go. Last game I barely saw any students,” Trinkle said. “For them, It is kind of disheartening not being able to go. Watching online is such a different thing.”

Hartwell empathizes with these students, expressing her opinion on only allowing two hundred and fifty people per game.

“I know it can be very frustrating because two hundred and fifty doesn’t seem like a lot of people, and in school, it’s weird that we can have like two thousand people, but we can’t have any more than two hundred and fifty at a game,” Hartwell said. TICKET - ADMIT ONE WHAT'S DIFFERENT

All in all, Trinkle fears NOW these changes may have a lasting impact on some - Only 250 people can go to games students’ memory of their for athletics high school experience. “You’re gonna look back on this year, if we are able - Everyone has to wear masks during the game to go to games next year, - Social distancing is and see that this part of encouraged throughout the stands high school is stripped away from you”, Trinkle said. - 127 seniors in fall sports this year

“ We didn’t think this was going to be taken away - No meeting the players after the from us, but it just was, big game and you don’t realize how important that is to you until you don’t have it.”

by elise maschino design by annagail fields

senior Kevin Graham

Students learn how to deal with the difficulties of accommodating COVID-19 procedures during club meetings

Rooms filled with laughter, muffled by masks and the smell of sanitizer. Students have begun to adapt to the new normal due to COVID-19. This includes clubs as meeting this school year has presented new challenges. For the President of the “Primate club,” senior Kevin Graham, it’s just a barrier they have to break. “Since we host [primate club] in AP GOV most of the time, desks are kept away, junior Paige Osbourne we wipe down and keep our masks on,” Graham said. “In terms of fundraising, a lot of ideas have been shot down due to COVID-19.” This new club pertaining to the safety and research of different primates had to face difficulties such as out of school activities, fundraisers and even just promoting the new club. “While my own word of mouth and those posters got us a decent turnout, we needed something better, so I started an Instagram account, to digitize how we get our information out,” Graham said. “If we need to move the date of a meeting or

get something across to members it’s much easier to post something than to print out more posters and put them up.”

For veteran clubs, like Key Club, junior Vice President Paige Osborne has had to adjust to accommodate the large size of members.

“Previously we’d meet in the LGI before school and this year we didn’t think we could do that because of its capacity and normally our first meetings are really big,” Osborn said. “So, we decided to make it virtual, and also to accommodate people who are on BRIDGE who might not want to come to school,”

Like Primate club, Key Club also has to promote themselves. With the limited use of paper, and a growing social media presence, they switched to online in hopes of attracting students to their club.

“We started a Key Club Instagram over the summer so we’re hoping that is reaching more people, especially people who aren’t at school. We use reminders to send out a lot of [notifications],” Osborne said. “So we’re just hoping people see that and it makes it easier for them to know when and how we have meetings virtually.”