The class of 2020 talk quarantine, virtual college and dealing with unknowns

The students from Cliffside Park High School in New Jersey, just 10 miles from the early epi-center of New York City, experienced an unprecedented senior year, many students affected by the coronavirus early on. Wanting to find a way for their unique experiences to be heard, High School English teacher Shawn Adler tasked his students with writing and publishing a book called ‘The Class of Covid-19: Insights from the Inside’, consisting entirely of personal stories and essays about their pandemic experiences. The book is not available for purchase on Amazon. “We have stories about prom, we have stories about addiction, we have stories about death, about students catching COVID,” Adler shares, “Stories about students who have experienced mental illness, students who have gone through not simply anxiety and panic attacks, but a real depression as well, and are vulnerable and are sharing that story.” After experiencing the loss of senior year, now the students face the unknowns of their freshman year of college. “I’m going to Marist College, and as of right now they say we’re going for in-person learning, so I am dorming,” a student explains. “We have to wear masks to class, the class sizes are going to be cut in half, and we can’t have [outside visitors] come to our dorms.” Another student says, "We’re going to make the most of it, we have no other choice." While fearful of the future, Adler reminds his students, Llife is not what happens to you, it’s how you deal with what happens to you."