For many people, the coming of a new year means the making of a new promise, a dedication to a craft or commitment to an ideal in hopes of becoming a better person than the year before. 

When Saint Louis U. High returned to in-person classes on Monday, Jan. 11, there was a sense of rebirth. The number of desks in each classroom had doubled. The Field House and Pool Hall had been converted into makeshift lunch halls. Even the daily schedule had been spruced up to include a 30-minute Academic Lab, a reminder to returning students of the Activity Period that had been wiped out with the coming of Covid-19. It seemed like the school itself had made a New Year’s resolution, vowing to make school life as ‘normal’ as possible and attempting to rekindle the flame of community that’s often emblematic of SLUH.

But the biggest change, and perhaps the most impactful, was the number of students in the building. After months of planning and deliberation by the administration, students—for the first time since last March—had the opportunity to return to school completely in person four days  week, packing the once-bare halls with well over 900 students.

Despite the changes, many students are relieved that they have a chance to see their cross-cohort friends in class again. Seniors especially are excited to have an opportunity to interact and create memories with their classmates as their time at SLUH comes to a close.

“It's good to be back in some sort of normal,” said senior Ocean Okohson-Reb. “Ever since March we've been in a sort of limbo when it comes to knowing what's next, not knowing if we're ever gonna return to normal. Last year I didn’t know if I was ever gonna see my class again.”

“It's good to be back in some sort of normal. Ever since March we've been in a sort of limbo when it comes to knowing what's next, not knowing if we're ever gonna return to normal. Last year I didn’t know if I was ever gonna see my class again.”

Ocean Okohson-Reb

Symphonic and Jazz 1 band member senior Michael Krausz has been particularly grateful for the opportunity to be all together in band class.

“Balance is so important when you are in a band, and with the cohort system, that balance was not necessarily possible. We are now able to function more as a unit and really have that balance,” said Krausz. “I know from my experience in jazz band that it's been nice having everyone back—seeing their faces and hearing their instruments.”

To SLUH President Alan Carruthers, SLUH has overcome great difficulties in 2020 and is more prepared than ever to take on the challenge.

“I've been very proud of our faculty and our staff and the quality of online instruction that they have delivered,” said Carruthers. “That said, there's no way we can truly do the full aspect of our mission formation without being in person. I think the goal has always been—and the desire has always been—to get back but to also do it in a manner that works for our building, our community, and everybody that's in this building at this time.”

The transition to full-person has brought with it a plethora of stricter safety guidelines. Teachers must have accurate seating charts in order for better contact tracing to occur. Students are also only allowed to eat in the designated areas: the Field House, the Pool Hall, and the Commons.

While lunch in the Commons has continued normally, lunch in the Pool Hall and Field House has proved to be a difficult adjustment for some.

“The Field House is pretty tight, and it’s kind of annoying that you have to get your food and can't just walk and sit down,” said junior Mac Southern. “It's harder to know where your friends are because some are gonna go to the Pool Hall and others to the Field House. It's kind of annoying, and it's harder. If you want to go back and get more food, you’ve got to go out of the Field House and walk over there.”

Along with the new setting has come a stricter enforcement of Covid guidelines as the school works to keep the environment safe and corona-free, especially in a maskless environment.

“I know a lot of people are getting upset with (Assistant Dean of Students Dan) Schulte trying to keep them spread out, but you’ve got to give him props cause he’s doing his job,” said Southern. “When you're sitting at home, not able to taste anything, you're going to wish you listened to mean old Mr. Schulte.”

One of the more well-received changes is the incorporation of an Academic Lab, which could be squeezed into the already-busy schedule by shortening class periods and the time set aside for homeroom and moving SLUH’s start time to earlier in the day. This period is designed for students to meet with teachers and catch up on homework, and for many students, it serves as a time to take a breath between classes.

“I think that time is good because you can use it however you want. If you're really struggling on, let's say, an essay or some math concept, you can actually go see your teachers in person for help,” said Krausz. “I see it almost like an activity period where there are a lot of ways to use the time.”

Yet, for some students, they worry this plan, like too many New Year’s resolutions, will not last. While safety regulations have been implemented to limit the spread, many students worry about the plan’s resilience.

“(Tuesday) was when I decided that I don't know how much longer we're gonna be in school. I walked down the hallway and into the lobby, and it was just a sea of kids,” said senior Rob Brooks. “I was like, ‘holy [expletive], how are there no teachers out here doing something about this.’ Nobody was distancing. It was nuts.”

“On the first day of school, it was both horrifying and exciting,” said Okohson-Reb. “I am grateful for the protocols and the technology that we have. It's a slightly safer place to be here. On the other hand, though, I've never seen this many people here for almost a year.”

The school has made sure to accommodate students who feel unsafe, allowing anyone to return to full-online classes if they want to, but Southern worries if online students are getting enough attention now that there are more students in person.

“I have teachers that are really good with that, and I have teachers that don't really pay attention to those Zoom guys,” said Southern. “Especially now that more people are in the room, they're probably going to start getting less and less attention, so I just think (we should) respect their opinion but make sure they're still part of our community.”

Students and faculty alike are particularly worried about the behavior of the student body in following school safety protocols.

“I feel like we're blessed to be back together, and I'm just really excited,” said Dean of Students Dr. Brock Kesterson. “But, the message I want to hit home is, ‘Let's not relax. Let's not take it for granted. Let's appreciate what we have every day together and make sure we do everything we can to keep it that way.’ ”

“If you don't start giving a (care)—if you don't start caring about the proper precautions—you're not only threatening to take away the fact that we're all back here together, which is something I'm extremely grateful for, but you're also threatening to take away pillars of the community,” said Brooks.

For now, the administration is hopeful that the school can stick to the current schedule for the remainder of the year.