It has been two weeks since EHS moved back into full in-person learning, and with the switch requiring over 2,000 students to pack into the building, concerns about the increased spread of COVID-19 have arisen. 

Sure enough, six students have tested positive for COVID-19, which has caused over 188 to go into a two-week quarantine. 

Junior Olivia Olson is among the quarantined, and she thinks that the merge into full in-person learning could be to blame. 

“I believe that the number of people quarantined has increased because with full attendance the classrooms are more packed and so are the hallways,” Olson said. “I think that we are pushing the boundaries a little bit. If we keep doing full attendance, there will be a slight increase in cases because of exposure.” 

Not only has full attendance worried some about the increase of cases, but some are also concerned about the mental health of quarantined students. 

Junior Tarielle Cook was sent home on March 12 due to exposure in school, and though her COVID-19 test came back negative, she is still required to wait out the 10 days. She said that the quarantine has been hard on her mental health. 

“Because I tested negative, it’s really frustrating watching my friends hang out over social media while I am still cooped up in what seems like a useless quarantine,” Cook said. “This quarantine has made it harder to keep up with school and has really limited my social interaction, which I have noticed has had a negative effect on my mood.” 

While some students are stressed about schoolwork and social interactions, others are missing out on sports, which already have shortened seasons. 

Senior Andrew Kaltmeyer was put into quarantine on March 15, and he is upset that he is missing out on the beginning of the football season. 

“It sucks that I am quarantined. I am missing my first two games of my senior year football season, and I can’t leave my house,” Kaltmeyer said. “This has definitely changed my mental health in a negative way. I can’t go to school, and I can’t play the sport I love. All I can do is sit at home and do nothing.”