Despite cancellations, the actions of high schoolers make an impact

Few tears were shed when 2020 turned to 2021. Judging by the number of times high schoolers heard the word “cancelled,” many would deem this a throw-away year.

By mid-March of 2020, almost everything high schoolers do was labeled “non-essential.” The risks for sports, in-person class, youth group and extracurriculars were deemed too high, and so students found themselves at home with none of the familiar activities available.

Based on this, it would be easy to conclude that high school is the least important thing happening in America right now. However, the pandemic has not changed the fact that what high schoolers do every day matters.

By no means did Fresno Christian students sit on their butts during Covid-19. Some chose to serve through food banks or their churches. Others found new ways to build connections, such as Amanda Phan, who runs a Facebook page for Vietnamese students studying abroad.

Though seemingly small, these selfless acts are exactly what generate change. Youth needs not stop anyone from changing the world.

The Fresno Christian football team started practicing in June – and put on shoulder pads for the first time Feb. 25. Rather than abandon hope after nine months of waiting, players conditioned, lifted and trained on their own. They are now just 2.6 cases per 100,000 away from the possibility of playing games in March.

Sticking with a sport through the longest off-season ever takes determination. Even if football never plays a game this year, athletes would leave high school with perseverance.

As Feather journalist Brayden Iest found while reaching out to other high school newspapers, plenty of student publications never came back online this school year. For the teams who did, a sense of purpose became clear.

High school journalism gives students a voice to share the unique stories, experiences, trials and triumphs that define teenage life. School newspapers mean so much more than sports scores and events announcements, and perhaps it took a year without sports or events to reveal this.

Though filled with tragedy, anxiety and loneliness for many, the 2020-21 school year is also filled with purpose. Take heart knowing that what you do in high school matters. Share what still matters to you and how you are participating in your passion in the comments below.

For more opinion articles, read COLUMN: Does social media limit free speech? and Editorial: Financial strategies in HS avoid later economic woes.