On Tuesday, February 18 at 10:20am, we went into a lockdown—the second in consecutive school days and third this school year.
Beyond the resulting fear and anxiety, these disruptions have had a domino effect on The Hook staff. Missing class time during the lockdowns, along with school closures due to winter weather, forced us to delay our next print edition for the first time in several years.
Fittingly, this edition focuses on cause and effect. The lockdowns have caused school-wide uneasiness, the result of students being crammed into dark corners and anxiously awaiting updates. Now, every announcement freezes students in apprehension.
The toll on students’ mental health (a topic Nico Jordan and Nellie Purdy cover on page 8) is undeniable. After both recent lockdowns, a large portion of the student body, including The Hook staff, decided to go home instead of staying in class for the rest of the day.
The consistent trend of buses arriving late (page 4) and lockdowns happening early in the day made us wonder, as we sat in the dark on cold tile floors, if students were arriving at school while we were hiding in classrooms.
Communication (page 28 and 31) from the school during the lockdowns was also flawed. Parents, students and staff were left without clear information on what caused the lockdown, and the announcement over the loudspeaker carried a tone of fear instead of urgency, which instilled even more anxiety into students and staff alike.
Our annual investigative edition aims to explore issues that affect all of us. The past week has given us plenty of story ideas for next year’s projects.
The lockdowns exposed deep flaws in our school’s communication, safety, and student support. It is clear that changes need to be made.
