COVID-19 has caused many changes in our lives. It has changed how close people stand to each other, how many people are in a room at once, how people act in public places, and people even wear masks to most places. Schools are no exception. These changes that are happening everywhere else in the world have been affecting school activities, as well. School activities have been cancelled or completely changed with new requirements to participate in the activity.

School sports have been affected by COVID-19 but most are minimally affected because many sports are outside. “The only thing I had to do was wear a mask during sports” says Zach Unger a GHS sophomore. Zach plays for the school lacrosse team. “Wearing masks was a minor inconvenience and made it a little annoying.”  According to Zach, lacrosse is one of the activities that has been minimally affected by COVID-19 due to the fact that the only change is wearing masks.

School music activities were greatly affected by COVID-19 because people need to be singing or playing instruments next to many other people. Currently, “Vocal students need to wear singer’s masks to rehearse and perform” Mr. Belding said. Singer’s masks are masks that are more stretched out around the mouth so kids can open their mouths without the mask moving and uncovering their mouths or getting in their way. “Instrumental students needed bell covers over the ends of their instruments” Mr. Belding said. Bell covers are a piece of fabric that covers the part of the instrument where air is expelled.

Last year, many music activities were also cancelled or had to be done online instead of in person. According to Mr. Belding  “No regular concerts and no state level festivals. Jazz all states and classic all states were the only concerts that still happened but all virtual”. In contrast, sports activities did not get affected as much “none of the lacrosse games were cancelled this year or last year” Zach said.

Music and sports are only a few of the activities that were affected by COVID-19. It is unclear if these activities will return to normal. Music has started to return to normal, they can also now have concerts again same with state level festivals. At concerts vocals still need to wear singers masks.