Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures; in this case, it is lots of relaxation for students after a long, tumultuous school year. With the start of summer vacation just around the corner, students are excited to finally put their tablets and backpacks down to enjoy quality time with their loved ones over a well-deserved break. 

     Senior Emily Bergin can attest to this phenomenon: “I’m definitely in need of a relaxing summer after this challenging school year that resulted in such mental exhaustion and burnout.” This summer, Bergin said she will work as a lifeguard and spend quality time with her friends. “I’m looking forward to spending time in the sun and in the water and enjoying the time I have left on Long Island with my friends before I head off to college in the fall,” she said. This summer is sure to be especially important for seniors who have not had the chance to enjoy their final months at LHS surrounded by friends.

     For sophomore Jaiden Moreno, the summer will be a time used for filming a fake reality television show with his friends. “We started it last year, and now we are following it up with a second season,” he said. “We’ve already started planning for it, and I’m looking forward to the free time in the summer that allows us to do stuff like this,” Moreno added. When asked what parts of a normal school year he missed most, Moreno replied that he is disappointed that his grade was not able to take part in Class Night. “Class Night was easily the best part of my freshman year, and losing a year of participating wasn’t too great. Thankfully, we still have two more years, and I look forward to next year,” he said.

     Freshman Caroline Larow plans to be active this summer, as she will participate in multiple out-of-state lacrosse tournaments and volunteer at the Summer Playground program. “I am looking forward to spending more time with family and friends and hopefully preparing for a normal sophomore year at LHS,” Larow said. When asked how she will decompress from the school year, Larow said, “I will use the free time this summer to relax, whether it’s at the beach or spending time with friends.” Many agree that getting outside this summer will be embraced, after a year of being cooped up inside, in quarantine.

     Unlike upperclassmen, who have a sense of what high school is truly like in a typical year, many freshmen felt as though they were entering their first year in high school with some missing background knowledge. As per first impressions of LHS, freshman Loughlin Reid-Cleary said that the school was very confusing. “Learning where your classes are is difficult enough without the one-way hallways, which nobody follows,” he stated. His summer plans consist of being a counselor in training (CIT) at Rolling River Day Camp. “On weekends, I’ll hang out with my friends and go to the beach,” he said.

     For many students, summer break is one of the most treasured, and needed, times. Whether their plans are to be a lifeguard, camp counselor, or filming a reality TV show, students readily welcome back a life of normalcy and look forward to all that this break has to offer: cool summer nights around a bonfire, lazy days on the beach, and barbecues with friends and family to make memories to last a lifetime.