Alternate Timeline: What if COVID-19 didn’t happen?

Alternate Timeline: What if COVID-19 didn’t happen? Written by Coco

Illustration by Cocoa

Senior year of HS, the last year that I’ll be in high school before graduating and half of that year was gone because of the lockdown, but what if the lockdown didn’t exist? What if I can rewind time? What would I have done differently?

Rewind to near the end of my junior year. I have survived my junior year in which I was taking both physics honors and Chinese Ap class. (First semester, I nearly died since I put too much effort into Chinese AP class, but little in physics honor class. Second semester was much better). I have to choose classes for my senior year of HS. When filling out the form, I remember writing down AP Statistics, AP Environmental Studies, Capella, British Literature, and US Government/Economics. In order for me to get the classes that I sign up for, my teachers have to sign the form. I remember my sophomore/junior year math teacher expressing concern for me since he saw me taking two AP classes. I told him that I would be fine and he signed my form. Several weeks later, I realized that taking two AP classes was a bad choice since I remembered how I nearly died the first semester of my junior year since I was taking honors and an AP class. I studied more for my AP class than my honors class which explains why I had a bad grade for the honor class in the first semester of that year. I still remember me talking to one of the school psychologists and freaking out. Then, she arranged a meeting with my counselor. It was kind of awkward with me standing there with my academic counselor and one of the school psychologists there since I rarely talked to my academic counselor. My academic counselor said that there were other math options beside taking math AP classes. I was like, no thanks. After several minutes of awkwardness, I won’t have to take math class my senior year of HS.

The reason why I stopped taking math? The last unit of HS pre-calculus class (vectors and parametrics) killed me. I think it was around the same time, I had to audition for choir, but this year, we practiced in class. When it’s time for my choir audition, I went into the room, sang the Star Spangled Banner, did some sight singing, and did the usual stuff. This time, the piano accompanist lady (who usually helps us choir kids with our notes and also choreo) was there. I did my audition, but was really nervous. If I mess up, I feel like she’s silently judging me. At the end, my choir teacher said that I have a wide singing range and asked if I want to be moved to another vocal section. After several minutes, I was like, idk??? So, in the end, I stayed in the same vocal section. During the beginning of my senior year, I got into Cantos (advanced all ladies choir) instead of Capella (advanced mixed, both male and female, choir). Back then, I was really disappointed since it has been a while since I sang with people of a different gender. Because I was taking four classes and have a lot of empty spots in my schedule, I decided to be a TA for my choir teacher and my junior year English teacher. Being a TA isn’t easy work. Besides grading music theory, taking out the trash, putting stuff from the lost and found box in the lost and found in the school, I also have to take care of trivial stuff (making sure people turned in their fees when due) and carrying stuff from the room we have for choir to the stage or the green room. I still remember the time where I had to single-handedly drag four or six clothes racks full of clothes from the small room that the choir had to store stuff to the theater. It was really hard because not all four wheels cooperate, not to mention that I have to drag it up and down some slopes. I’m really glad Peter helped me with the last clothing rack since the rear right wheel was extremely wonky. TAing for my English teacher is really easy. I don’t have to do a lot of grading, so most of the time, I just hang out and do my homework. I remember forgetting to go to that class. The next time I went there, that teacher asked me if I want to continue to be a TA for her and I said no. I kind of regretted that because sometimes, I would hang out on campus waiting for my mom and I was wasting time. It would have been better for me to spend that time doing homework, so I won’t have to do them when I get home. Senior year went pretty normal for me, except for something which I did not see coming. In the beginning of my senior year, my choir teacher gave a presentation on the choir tour since the people in the advanced choir classes can go. This year, we’re going to New York City. We were really excited. It was around late February that COVID came and we have bad news, we might not have our choir tour this year. In early February, the two soloists for the March Concert paid a visit to my choir class. After they sang their song, we sang some of our songs. We sang two songs, but for one of them, while we’re singing it, we noticed that the harmonies part of the song disappeared. Luckily, none of the soloists didn’t notice, but we gave each other weird looks. I’m not sure if the choir teacher noticed that. After we sang, the soloists were impressed. Then, we were allowed to ask them questions. Around that same time, my freshman year geometry/sophomore year Martial Arts teacher joined my choir teacher’s church choir. During the tutorial, (because I sat in her classroom during that time), she asked me if she can come to the choir classroom during the second period. I said sure and I said that I am a TA during that period. Then, during the second period, she would come in and sing with the choir. During that same time, Cantos was kind of behind, so my choir teacher encouraged all TA to sing their vocal parts with the choir during the period that they were TA for. Sometimes, if I have time, I would stop what I’m doing and go stand in my vocal section of the class and sing with them. Other times, I would grab a copy of the music and silently follow along. Early March, we knew that COVID. That means it’s totally ok if we don’t come perform in the March concert if our parents are worried for our health. In the end, a lot of people decided not to come. In the evening, as time passed by, the concert was about to begin. My choir teacher came into the room where we choir people were hanging us and scolded us. At that time, it seems like we didn’t really care. I still remember

how the men responded to his question: “Are you ready?” At first, they said yes (responses all over the place). Suddenly, they whispered, “1, 2, 3… YES SIR!” (with the military salute) The concert went fast quickly with us performers being live streamed. After the concert was over, my choir teacher asked the tech guy if the camera’s recording was cut. The tech guy gave the thumb up, but the camera’s feed was still running. My choir teacher said that he has an announcement. We all held our breath until he said that refreshments will be served as normal and we cheered really loudly. There was only performers in the refreshment room and the people in charge of refreshment gave us performers candy and chocolate. I think it was late February when we choir students knew that choir tour was going to be postposted. At first, my choir teacher suggested that the trip would be postponed to June, but some people are already on vacation. Then, he suggested August, but some people might be away. Then, it looks like the choir tour might not happen. Early March, I remembered my classmates and I walking into the choir classroom and being very confused. Where’s the choir teacher and the piano accompanist? Why is one of the vice principals here? What’re the papers that he’s holding in his hand? One of the vice principals asked where the choir teacher was and someone in my vocal section pointed him toward the Green Room. He left. A few minutes later, the choir teacher and the piano accompanist lady walked in. The choir teacher apologized for being late. He, Mrs. Won, (the piano accompanist lady), and that vice principal were discussing what to do. He knew that we and our parents (who probably paid for the trip) were disappointed, so they tried negotiating with the vendors and he’ll let us know how much of our trip’s money will be refunded. Several days after that, on March 14th, it was a Friday morning. I was in my APES class and we were doing a lab after making a circuit with a powerful lamp powering a solar panel. (Solar panel part of the circuit, the lamp was not). We used different gadgets (motor, a mini speaker, a fan, or even a piece of colored plastic sheet). Most of the different gadgets, except for the colored plastic sheet, were part of the circuit to see if the lamp can power the circuit. For a bonus, someone would put the colored plastic sheet between the closed circuit and the lamp to see if the lamp can power the solar panel. That morning, the principal made a solemn announcement. Today was the last day of in-person school and that we would transition to three weeks of online school. Someone in my class was shocked that he didn’t pay attention to what he was doing and he moved the plastic colored sheet closer to the lamp. Part of the sheet melted. He freaked out and the substitute teacher said that she would tell the teacher. The teacher would understand. We students had a week off, so the teachers can prepare for online school. I told myself, it’s three weeks, it would pass by quickly. I was wrong. In early April, we received an email from the school saying that it would be an online school for the rest of the semester. I was crushed. The last choir performance of the school year was cancelled. We choir kids recorded ourselves singing our part of the music and sending it to the choir teacher. My class was going to perform The Broadway Show: Wicked. Beside recording ourselves singing our part of the music, we would also write reflections of our part in the concerts when school was still in-person. Even though I’m really disappointed by not performing Wicked and the trip being cancelled, I will remember graduation prep and graduation drive through. For graduation prep, I picked up my diploma, got my graduation picture (with me wearing my graduation robe, hat, and me holding the diploma), and picking up some goodies. Graduation drive through was the best. I remember because I was busy with schoolwork, I forgot to clean the van and decorate the van for the graduation drive thru. On the day of the graduation drive-thru, I was going to be late. My mom said that my brother can drive me there, but I said no since the email that I received said only parents or guardians can be the driver. I was the last one to arrive there and I waited a while in the line of cars. As my mom’s car entered the driveway in front of the main office, one of my senior year of HS teachers said my name out loud. Some of my teachers and some of the school officials (students) were there. There were two people who

took photos and one of them took a photo of me. I remember my freshman geometry/sophomore year material arts teacher making the “I love you” sign in sign language. At that time, I didn’t know how to respond, so I awkwardly smiled and waved back. As I head off to college, I had no idea that my senior year of HS would turn out to be like this. My first semester of online class in college was chill since most of my professors knew that I (a freshman) was new to online schooling.

IF COVID DID NOT HAPPEN:

Rewind back to late junior year. I have to fill out a form to register for my classes. I will put down Cantos, (advanced all female choir), AP Environmental Science, British Literature, and US Government/ Economic class. Around this time, I have to audition for choir. When I’m done with my audition, my choir teacher will notice that I have a wide singing range. I will tell him to not move me, but ask if I can help the other vocal sections. Fast forward to my senior year. My schedule has so many holes, I will ask to be a TA for two teachers, my choir teacher and my junior year English teacher. Being a TA is a rewarding effort since not only do I do tasks, but I will get to know the people in those classes and they will get to know me. Also, I get to eat snacks when being a TA for my choir teacher during the second period. I know that I can’t help out with playing piano for my vocal section during my choir class since there are a lot of people in my vocal section who knows how to play the piano, but maybe during the choir class that I ta for, I can help out with playing piano for a vocal section since the choir teacher do not have to play two vocal sections’ parts at the same time. Then, the early part of senior year is college applications season. I will first research all the colleges that I want to apply to. Then I will make a list of all the colleges that I want to apply to. After I checked everything off that list, I will stop applying to colleges and then focus on my schoolwork. Come March of every year, my high school chamber orchestra and high school choir will collaborate to give a performance. In January and February, only choir people in the second period will go over to the chamber orchestra classroom to rehearse with them. Fast forward to the day of the concert. It will be two nights of performance, one on Friday and the second one on Saturday. After each performance will be refreshment time. I think the people in charge of refreshment will hand pizza or some goodies to us performers. I will invite some of my friends along with the rest of Decibel 107 (former high school band) to see the performance. During refreshment time, beside talking to my friends, I want to take pictures with both of the soloists. The last concert of the year is the Springshow concert. For this year, my class is performing the Broadway Show: Wicked. After receiving sheet music of the song, we’re going to learn it in class. After a while, we will memorize it. The choir teacher will tell us to put down the music and then feed us lyrics. (we would sing and then he would say what is coming next). Around that time, certain people in the class will be selected to choreograph moves for a song. After the moves are decided, the entire class will get together to practice the moves along with singing the songs. Early May, the choir teacher will do auditions. I hope to get either Elphaba’s part in What is this Feeling or Elphaba’s part in Defying Gravity. I also hope to get the female soloist in the closing song, Seasons of Love from the movie, Rent. I do know that every year Jerry, the person in charge of special effects for performances, does a really good job with the special effect for performances and I wonder what he will make for our Cantos’s performance of Wicked. Fast forward to graduation. I didn’t want to leave behind my friends, but I hear that graduation will be really good. Not only will we have Capella choir singing, but chamber orchestra people will play a song at graduation. And of course, I can’t forget me walking across the stage to get my diploma. And during my walk across the stage, I will see all the teachers there including the teachers who taught me during my high school years. My high school years have a lot of ups and downs, but I will forever remember my graduation.