After a year and a half of online school, AWHS is back on campus and activities are slowly starting to return. The COVID-19 pandemic caused students to miss out on important high school experiences, such as dances and rallies. Students are eager to learn if AWHS will be holding homecoming this fall, along with other school events in the upcoming year.

Whether homecoming will occur this year is currently undecided, but Associated Student Body (ASB) is working hard to find a solution where AWHS can hold these events while following COVID-19 safety restrictions. ASB president Margaret Young, along with the rest of the ASB leadership team, is responsible for figuring out how to plan safe gatherings that will bring the student body together.

“In regards to [COVID-19], people want homecoming and rallies, and I’m all for it, but to be completely honest the district has said no dances or rallies inside. Whether or not outside can happen is [uncertain] at the moment,” Margaret said. 

Despite current states, Margaret is hopeful they will be able to make it work, as it would be the first rallies and dances for two current classes. Due to local guidelines, ASB is trying to plan outdoor events, though they are unsure whether a dance will be able to take place. Due to AWHS’s location in a residential area, the likelihood of putting on an outdoor dance is slim. 

“There is potential for outdoor events, that’s something we can look into. I don’t think we’ll do an outdoor dance though. I just think the neighbors wouldn’t like that very much,” said Interim Principal LaSandra White. 

The COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest deciding factor in whether ASB will be able to get these memorable affairs going, but money also plays a role. Due to not having any dances last year, their funding for events has dropped a great deal. 

“Dances bring in a lot of profit, so without those dances our accounts are suffering at the moment. What we’re going to try and do is fundraise some money so we can do some smaller events,” Margaret said. 

ASB is trying to use their creativity and focus their energy on smaller gatherings that will be easier to set up. She thinks that setting up the free events during lunch and after school are a good way for people to interact, listen to music, and hang out. She also wants to set up outdoor movie nights and other alternate activities. 

Overall, safety during this time is the priority for ASB when planning events. ASB is staying positive that they will be able to bring an event together this school year, but are keeping in mind that it will always come second to the health and well-being of the community. 

“We have to follow the local guidelines from the state, and our priority is to keep kids safe in school. That’s the primary goal and then doing extracurricular things is secondary when it comes to [the pandemic],” White said.  

The past year and a half during the COVID-19 pandemic has brought change to many aspects of students’ lives, and planning gatherings right now can be complicated. Margaret is optimistic that if ASB isn’t able to put together a dance that can follow the pandemic safety regulations, they will be able to find another way to reconnect the AWHS student body.