As COVID-19 continues to rage on throughout the country, schools all over have been forced to adapt to the new ways of living.

At the start of the new school year, districts were faced with the challenge of reopening. CHS began in a fully-virtual format and switched to a hybrid schedule in mid-October. 

This switch to hybrid meant that half of the school would be in-person on certain days, while the other half was at home taking classes virtually. However, some students opted to be on a full-virtual schedule. This change in how school operated affected everyone, including the freshmen who were hit especially hard with this change, as they are just starting out and still getting to know their classmates.

“It is frustrating that I can only interact with half of my class,” said freshman Chase Auch of Wall. “In the opposite cohort, I see a lot of potential friends that I don’t have many opportunities to meet.”

Since students come from all over Monmouth County, many are unfamiliar with one another at the beginning of each school year. This year, the grade has only been able to meet half their class in-person due to the hybrid schedule. Additionally, they are unable to eat lunch close to one another, a time when friendships are typically made.

“It’s challenging to meet new friends while social distancing and wearing a mask. Both of these things act as boundaries and often times, it feels like they discourage social interaction… That being said, I am aware that the current situation calls for these restrictions and are important to keep people safe,” Auch said.

This feeling of frustration is shared by the teachers.

“Although freshmen are usually quiet in the beginning of the year, by this time in the year the students are usually very comfortable with each other… I feel like it isn’t the same this year… There is very little socialization at all,” said heath and biology teacher Leah Morgan.

The division between the freshmen class has been tried to be connected in a variety of ways by the freshman class council, including a class wide Among Us night, a baking competition and a scavenger hunt. 

However, according to Morgan, “true socialization won’t happen until everyone can be together on a regular basis.”