As Omicron looms over us long after we thought COVID-19 would be behind us, we’ve gotten our boosters, religiously worn masks, and remained conscious of our proximity to others. In the same vein, we had hoped the school administration would continue the COVID diligence it mastered in the 2020-21 school year. We had hoped they would communicate clearly andregularly, provide accurate and consistent testing, and handle COVID cases in a safe manner. Unfortunately, those hopes haven’t been realized. So, being the studious younger members of society we are, The Vanguard has attempted to identify and solve these problems in the way we know best: a step- by-step study guide. Like we’ve been told in class—take careful notes.

KEY POINTS:

There are some things out of everyone’s control. Perhaps the testing facilities in Chicago are less expensive than the ones we used previously, and in an effort to conserve cash, the school took the more frugal route. Perhaps we simply can’t afford the same protection against COVID that was provided in the earlier stages. Or maybe we simply don’t need it, as the Omicron virus has proven to be a much milder version of its predecessor.

Either way, there are two simple solutions to solve more pressing issues that don’t involve any expenditures. The first, most obviously, is to change the testing date from Tuesday to Friday so anyone who tests positive will not expose anyone to COVID for at least two days afterward.

Then, the school must be clearer with students. This means giving exact data, analytics, and facts within each email sent directly to us. We deserve to know the immediate facts and not dig for them through loads of sugarcoating. We’ve asked for clear communication since the beginning of the pandemic and even before. We’re a strong community. We’ve gotten this far. But now is not the time to let up on the work that needs to be done.